Kur Unfurled
by annablossom4703
Summary: They all thought Kur was gone. They all thought their lives would go on, leaving the past behind with only scars as reminders. But all that is about to change upon the arrival of a girl with an unknown history and extraordinary powers. Can the Saturdays unravel her mystery, and the ones that come with it, before time runs out, or will the girl bring the end? Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Annablossom4703: I'm back! (throws hands up into the air before flopping down sideways in a chair) I have missed everyone so much! So obviously, I'm trying a new introduction style, so let me know what you think! Special shout-out to Hollyleaf15 for the inspiration for the intro format! Anyways, I have with me the Saturday family! Say, "hey", guys!

Doc and Drew Saturday: Hello.

Zak, Fiskerton, Zon, Komodo Saturday: Hey!

Doyle Blackwell: S'up?

AB: I am so excited that all of you are actually here!

Zak: No problem, AB. Excited to see what you've got planned for us.

AB: (Mysterious look in eyes) You'll just have to wait and see. Say, Zak, how strong is your love for Wadi?

Zak: I'd die for her, Why?

AB: No reason. On to the story. I don't own _The Secret Saturdays_, Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network do.

Zak: Seriously, AB. Why?

AB: You'll see, eventually. BTW, this a rewrite of _Healing Kur_, but whatever you know from that, forget it. This is a clean slate.

Here's Chapter 1: The Half Skeleton.

* * *

><p><em>(3rd Person POV)<em>

_The naga's eyes glowed orange as the Great Serpent dismissed the naga annoyedly from his sight. The Great Serpent had had enough._

_A young, alluring, sand colored naga with short black hair came slithering into the throne room of the Great Serpent. The naga bowed to the Great Serpent, who blew her off. Yet the naga continued to slither closer to the Great Serpent._

"_Leave me be, Gulama. Can't you ssssee your massster isss tired?" The Great Serpent hissed at the naga called Gulama. He began to use his powers to control Gulama and forced her from the throne room. The Great Serpent sighed once Gulama was out. He was so tired of the darn nagas constantly bothering him. Ever since he gained control over them, they never wanted to let him be alone. And now rumors of rebellion filled his palace. The Great Serpent left the throne room, returned to his chamber, and laid down to rest._

* * *

><p>Zak: What was that? That was horrible!<p>

Drew: Zak! I'm sorry about him.

AB: It's nothing. I'm used to boys his age.

Zak: Hey!

AB: Anyway, Zak, that was the start of a myth that I'll be using to begin each chapter. Oh, by the way, for the main story, one of the characters knows French, so I have the French and then the English translation in parentheses, but I have the narration in English. Does that make any sense?

Zak: Nope.

AB: Oh. Well, you'll understand once you see it. I hope. I also have the myth and thoughts/memories in italics, in case that confuses you. Now for the actual story.

* * *

><p>(Unknown's POV)<p>

"Allons. Ce doit travailler. S'il vous plaît laissez ce travail, (Come on. This has to work. Please let this work.)" I mutter earnestly. The chain rattles loudly. I pull and pull will all my might, trying to break the chain's cracked links. Nothing happens. I fight with the chain as the sounds of a fight become louder.

"_Je promets que je serai de retour. Quand je viens, je vais nous deux libérer. (I promise I'll be back. When I come, I will free us both.)"_ Munya's words echo in my mind. I keep struggling. _"Tu ne dois pas échapper. Maître savoir. Fais-toi une faveur et reste immobile et calme. (You must not escape. Master will find out. Do yourself a favor and remain still and quiet.)" _The urgency in Munya's words worries me.

I see the key on the opposite wall of this cramped cell. If I could just reach it like I've been trying, I could go help Master and pay him back for all the good he's brought me. I pull once more, and something does happen this time. The cuffs on my wrists dig deep and cut my flesh. I wince. But this is only a minor setback. My focus once again locks on the key hanging on the other wall; Master put it there to drive me batty during punishments until I learned to obey him. I lunge for the opposite wall, knowing perfectly well that I'm chained facing this one. The key falls to the ground just inches from my reach.

I use my legs to try and drag it closer, only to kick it farther away. "_Zut! (Drat!)"_ I think.

"Eh bien, qu'est-ce que nous avons ici? Une demoiselle en détresse? (Well, what do we have here? A damsel in distress?)" A black boot kicks the key to me. I bow my head, snatch up the key, and unlock the cuffs.

"Merci- (Thank-)" I know that voice and those boots. "Maître? (Master?)" My voice squeaks fearfully.

With my hands tied behind my back, Master shoves me down multiple hallways and up many flights of stairs until he stops me in front of his office door. He's never punished me up here before. The office is next to the main parlor which, based on the sounds, is where most of the fighting is. In his office, Master shoves me to ground inside a metal cage with all of his strength. He cuts the ropes, only to very quickly chain my wrists behind my back and to the floor. I open my mouth to beg forgiveness, but Master quickly wraps a cloth around my head and over my mouth. The cloth tastes foul. Then he blindfolds me.

"Cette fois, tu vas rester au même endroit. Une fois que j'en ai fini avec les Saturdays et ton père en particulier, je vais finir une fois pour toutes. (This time you're going to stay in one place. Once I'm done with the Saturdays and your father especially, I'm going to finish this once and for all.)" With that, Master slams the cage door, steps away, and flips a switch. I don't hear anything; I start to squirming, trying to figure out in what proximity everything is to me. In the process, my elbow touches one of the bars. It burns horribly, and the sensation of every atom in my body being shocked into what feels like absolute zero endures only for a millisecond. It's an electric cage. "Maintenant, ne le touche pas, mon animal de compagnie. J'ai besoin de toi en bonne santé pour ma dernière tâche. (Now don't touch it, my pet. I need you healthy for my final task.)"

Master slams the door to his office, and I hear it lock. "Enough! This is my home. Please, mind the décor." All the noises pertaining to a fight cease to exist. "I come to offer a truce. If the Saturday boy will merely come with me, I can end this war instantly."

"Argost, shut you DIRTY, LYING MOUTH!" The sound of a weapon being powered on fills the main parlor and the office. I know the people out there are bad and want to take me away from Master, but part of me wants them to find me here so they may see how good Master is.

"There will be no truce!" Another female voice cries. Once again the same weapon powers on. I hear a jetpack turn on and then electricity zapping. A man screams, there's a thud, and the woman who shouted at Master cries.

"Drew, you were the only thing I loved more than money." _PÈRE (FATHER!)_ My attempt to pull on the chains fails; it's so much harder to fight with my hands chained to the floor behind me. There's more talking, but I don't bother to listen. I force myself not to cry because that's how Master, no matter how wonder he is, finds his pleasure: in the pain of others.

What feels like hours pass, but neither Master nor Munya returns. The voices and noise stopped long ago. Given the circumstances, I'd rather those evil people from earlier find me than be in this old manor alone.

Sobs come from the main parlor. They're quiet sobs, but they're still sobs.

"Leonidas? Please, no. No, no, no, no, no. This isn't happening. It's not fair. Leonidas, please wake up." The person sobs each word. It's a woman. The sound of another set of footfalls echos. "Drew? Drew, I know what he did." The person says louder.

"Staying here won't change what's already been done. Let's go home; we can get Doc to bring him." The two women's footsteps fade away. Silence expands and consumes the manor once more.

_Peut-être que maintenant Maître viendra. Ou peut-être Munya. (Maybe now Master will come. Or perhaps Munya.)_ I tell myself through thoughts. A few more hours pass, yet no one comes. I begin to panic. _Peut-être Munya prend un certain temps pour revenir. Maître pourrait être blessé. (Perhaps Munya is taking a while to return. Master could be hurt.)_ Anything that can comfort me, I think to myself. More hours pass. _Est-ce ce que le Maître voulait dire? Dois-je mourir dans cette cage de faim, de soif, ou d'électrocution? ( Is this what Master meant? Am I to die in this cage from starvation, thirst, or electrocution?)_

No sooner do my thoughts end, do heavier footsteps and the sound of something being rolled resound in the parlor. A man grunts as if he's lifting something heavy, like a body. The man and whatever he's rolling soon go.

Four days later, my head hurts, and the world is fuzzy. I've survived longer than most humans would have in this predicament. I will myself to stay awake should Master or Munya return.

By the end of one week, no one has come. Not even the people who took my father's body have returned.

"Drew, do you feel like there's something still here?" A woman asks. _Les personnes! (People!)_

"Yes, but Doc said we freed every cryptid after Zak woke up" replies another woman.

"I know, but- Drew, do you hear the crying?"

"I hear it, Miranda, I hear it. Maybe it's the cries of souls lost." Based on the sounds I hear, which aren't very clear due to my mind being blurred, the two women search the entire house, except the office. They stop just outside the office door. "That's every room, Miranda. Let's go." I rattle the chains and try to make as much noise as possible with the gag on. The talking stops, and I hear the noise the doorknob makes as it twists. I'm able to see the floor about a yard in front of me by looking under the bottom edge of the blindfold; I see a pink circle appear from nowhere and the feet of two women step through.

"Oh my gosh!" One yelps. I'm saved, even if they are the enemy. I finally relax, and I welcome sleep's dark embrace.

* * *

><p>Zak: What the heck, AB? You make it sound like the person actually adores Argost!<p>

AB: Would you let me finish?! (Zak shuts up.) Thank you.

* * *

><p>(Zak's POV)<p>

I look at the half skeleton Mom brought in from WeirdWorld. It's been out for a while, so I'm getting a good chance to study it. It has long, platinum blonde hair with streaks of black and red. It's clothes look like they would be very form fitting if the half skeleton weren't a half skeleton, but now its clothes are a loose fitting black dress and tiny white apron- well the apron would be white except for dirt and dust all over it. It wear tights, black flats, and it's hair is tied up in a bun. It has a black choker with a charm on it around its thin little neck.

"She was severely dehydrated. She'll be out for a while longer. How long do you think she was in the place?" Dad asks. Mom shrugs.

"Too long," Mom replies.

I look back at the half skeleton. It's kind of pretty after one looks beyond the bones. I might like it more than Wadi.

* * *

><p>Zak: AB! What the heck is wrong with you?! I would never choose a half skeleton, as you call it, over Wadi! You're crazy to even think that!<p>

Drew and Doc: ZAK!

Fisk: I don't see what your problem is, Mom and Dad. Zak makes a valid point.

AB: What part of "let me finish" is unclear?! It will all makes sense in time, but that time will never come if you keep interrupting me! (takes a deep breath) I'm sorry. Let's continue, (shoots Zak a glare) with no more interruptions.

* * *

><p>Its eyes flutter. "Oh my gosh! Mom, Dad!" Mom and Dad immediately begin to make sure it's okay. It starts to wake up. The half skeleton opens its eyes; one blue, one green. It looks around the room and tenses up at the sight of us.<p>

Mom tries to explain that we're not going to hurt it, but it doesn't seem to care. I wonder what happened to it to make it act this way. Mom tells the half skeleton where it is, which only makes it more tense and scared. Dad leaves the room, and I follow.

(Drew's POV)

I try to reason with the girl for about an hour and a half; then a thought occurs to me. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. Immediately, I ask if she speaks English; she looks sadly at me, and it's not long afterwards that I discover she speaks French. I ask her simple yes-or-no questions for a little bit longer. The girl finally begins to relax a little. It's a start.

"Nous voulons tu aider. Peux-tu travailler avec nous? (We want to help you. Can you work with us?)" The girl nods tentatively. "Comment t'appelles-tu? (What is your name?)" She nods but doesn't give me her name. "Je m'appelle Dr Drew Saturday. (My name is Dr. Drew Saturday.)" The girl nods and bows her head.

I try for another hour or two before giving up. If she won't talk now, she won't talk ever. I give Miranda a call; I'm not sure what she can do, but I'm out of ideas. She shows up before I can even hang up. I explain to Miranda the situation. She disappears into the medical bay and closes the door behind her with a thud.

Ten minutes later, Miranda emerges. "She's asleep now. No one bother her."

"Her name?" Doc asks annoyedly.

"Iris Van Rook." I stare open-mouthed at Miranda.

"How? I spent three and a half hours trying to get her to talk, yet you found out her name in ten minutes." I pause. "Did you find out why she was in WeirdWorld?"

"Somethings happen behind closed doors for a reason." With that, Miranda leaves through a portal. Doc walks up to me. I look at him and simultaneously sigh. I will never understand Miranda or her ways.

"Drew, -"

"No." I take a deep breath. "How is it possible? Leonidas never married."

"Adoption?"

I ignore my husband's suggestion. "I bet she didn't even get to say goodbye." Doc nods. Then he walks out. I go back into the medical bay. Iris is asleep, so I sit down in a chair next to the bed and observe. The silence of the soundproof medical bay and the peacefulness of Iris's chest rising and falling lure me to sleep before I can stop myself.

_The icy wind howls in my ears. I see my parents and Doyle just ahead of me. I race to them. The joke was funny at first, but they really scared me after a while. I really don't want anything to happen to them. I hug Mom and Dad. Doyle joins the hug. It's our last day camping, so we're having as much fun as possible in the Himalayan snow._

_We have a snowball fight, which Mom and I totally win. Then Dad makes hot chocolate; the warmth from the stove fills the air around us as the sweet aroma fills our lungs. We begin packing our belongings. I'm done before the others, so I head back outside the tent. The wind gains speed. The snow falls ferociously. Parts of our camp we haven't packed yet fly everywhere. Mom, Dad, and Doyle rush out of the tent as it collapses._

_A blanket soars toward me; Mom tries to grab my hand. We're only an inch apart. The blanket smacks me and rolls me up. I go flying away._

"_DREW!" My dad's voice is barely audible above the screaming wind. My heart is racing. The blanket drops me on a large rock; I hit my head._

_The aroma of traditional tea forces me to come around. I look up to find five young men in orange robes and bald heads around me. The oldest of them hands me the tea and tells me to drink. It tastes awful, like yak vomit, but I drink it anyways. They introduce themselves and I introduce myself. When I ask about my family, they shake their heads._

I start wide awake. My face is wet. I was crying in my sleep. I haven't done that in years, but neither has this dream haunted me so vividly. To distract myself, I check on Iris, who has woken up.

"Comment vas-tu? (How are you feeling?)" I ask. Iris nods. "La femme qui est venu ici plus tôt nous a dit ton nom. C'est Iris, non? (The woman who came in here earlier told us your name. It's Iris, right?)" I try to speak as slowly as I can without my sentences sounding broken. Iris nods once again. When I ask Iris why she trusted Miranda, Iris petrifies and shakes her head once she's loosened the muscles in her neck enough. It'll be a long time before she ever speaks to us.

Doc, Zak, and Fiskerton all try their luck with Iris; I give them a heads up that she only speaks French. I decide to talk to Doyle.

(Doc's POV)

Zak and Fiskerton argue as they try to coax the girl out of her shell. They're not making her any more comfortable than she was. I tell the two boys to cut it out. Fiskerton grumbles something before storming out of the room. The medical bay doors slam with with a bang.

"He's not usually like that," Zak reassures the girl, yet she remains terrified. Then Zak remembers that she only speaks French. He chuckles nervously because he doesn't know a word in French.

"Zak, why don't you go practice combat training with Komodo. I'll stay here." Zak races out, eager to show off his skills to Komodo. I laugh; somethings will never change.

The girl looks up with her eyes. The look of terror is ingrained in them. I know she's young and scared, but I don't trust her, plus she's about Zak's age, so she's really not that young. I don't trust anyone with a history at WeirdWorld. I lost 43 people out of a team of 50, and Drew nearly lost Zak. I'll be happy to get this WeirdWorld freak out of my house if it means protecting my family.

"Iris." The girl looks up at the sound of her supposed name. "Get some rest. You'll need it to recover." I double check the IV's and make sure fluids are still running and have a good supply. I may not trust her, but she still deserves medical help.

The girl dozes off before too long. My job is done here; I'm off to find Drew and Doyle.

(Zak's POV)

After a while, Komodo and I stop training; there comes a point in time in which no longer having the upper hand becomes boring. I decide to see how the half skeleton is doing.

The half skeleton sleeps. It's body is frozen, but grunts and groans let me know it's still alive. Suddenly, its eyes burst open; it gasps, sits up, and throws it blanket off simultaneously. It heaves a couple times before slowly settling into a normal breathing rhythm. The half skeleton hugs its knees to its chest tightly.

"Are you okay?" I ask as best I can without knowing any French. The half skeleton stares me in complete and utter fear. It nods slowly. "You understand English?" It nods again, but more tentatively. "Did you have a bad dream?" The half skeleton hugs its knees even closer to its chest; I assume it means yes.

I bring the half skeleton a cup of water from the kitchen. My hand touches its hand as it takes the cup; I can't tell if the half skeleton has a good grip or not. My twelfth birthday replays vividly in my mind.

The icy wind, the cold of summer in Antarctica burning my skin, the pure terror of fighting the cryptid Argost controlled, all of it vividly occupies my brain. The disappointment, the fear, the horror, and the shock of discovering I was Kur lingers the longest.

I pull my hand away; the cup clatters to the floor. The water spills all over the floor. The half skeleton jerks, as if it's unsure of whether to clean up or stay on the bed. I look at the half skeleton with an expression of both shock and reassurance. The half skeleton matches my eyes for a split second before it looks back at the cup and water on the floor. The half skeleton's dead eyes linger in my mind; the eyes, though dead, had concern in them.

"I'm fine. I just remembered something I've been trying to forget," I explain quickly before picking up the cup and going back to the kitchen to get a new cup and paper towels. I come back, but this time I put the glass on the table next to the bed, rather than hand the half skeleton the glass directly. The half skeleton smiles barely, picks the glass up, and takes a sip, all while never taking its eyes off me.

For the next twenty minutes, I observe the half skeleton. It seems friendly enough, but it is in too much mortal terror for me to really know. I wish I knew why this near lovely creature is so afraid of us. I wish I knew why it was found where and how it was.

After a while, my eyelids become heavy, so I nap once more. Ever since I died and came back, I've been napping a ton.

_Even in my extreme climate suit, the snow, wind, and ice burn my skin. I look down at the cryptid frozen in the ice beneath me. "So this is Kur," I think. Part of me feels relief over the fact that Kur is trapped in ice, but I also feel uneasy. "This doesn't feel like Kur." The Naga's Kur Detector glows perpetually and brilliantly. "No, it's Kur," I reassure myself._

_Fisk falls, and the ice begins cracking. This cryptid, Kur, breaks free of the ice and begins attacking us. I fight for a connection only to find I can't make one. Then we discover this is a cryptid with multiple parts, but head is the real head?_

_Then Argost makes an appearance. He disappears inside the cryptid. I know what I have to do. Dad gives me his battle glove; I feel like a man now. My pride swells as a result. Then Mom hands me her firesword. Fisk tags along as I leave to fight Argost._

_Inside, Fisk and I face Argost and Munya. The firesword lands in Fisk's hands at some point. Although I feel better knowing I have back up, I fear Fisk with Mom's firesword; things tend to go wrong whenever Fisk has a weapon._

_Ultimately, Argost's face is cracked (apparently it was a mask all along), and Munya retreats with his master. The cryptid has fallen, but the Kur Detector still glows. Somehow it ends up in my hands._

_I start shaking from the inside. The horror is great. It's a fight to blink back the tears in the freezing wind. My powers are the strongest they've ever been._

"_Zak . . . is Kur," Dad gasps. Mom goes into denial._

"_I'm Kur," I think. The disappointment permeates through my body. "I'm not meant to save the world. I'm made to destroy it." I feel a tear start rolling down my cheek, but it freezes to my skin; I brush it away before the others see it. "Some birthday."_

_I'm not sure how, but within two weeks, all the Secret Scientists (except Dr. Cheechoo, who isolates himself from everyone) team up against us. Dr. Beeman, Dr. Grey, and Professor Mitzuki lead the group with Dr. Beeman the official head. My family and I hide for our lives. Then Agent Epsilon's people join the Secret Scientists in their manhunt._

A hand on my shoulder scares me to death. It's only Dad. He tells me dinner will be ready in an hour. I stare at the hologram clock on the wall. It's 5 pm! How did that happen?!

I take one last look at the half skeleton. It's wide awake now and looking much better. I whisper to Dad that the half skeleton understands English. Then, I leave the medical bay to go play video games as a final effort to purge the memory from my mind, yet somehow, video games no longer seem worth while. In fact, nothing frivolous or fiction seems worthwhile anymore. Mom says it's because all the events I've seen and experienced have forced me to grow up too fast. Maybe she's right, even if her outlook on mythology no longer seems worth while either.

(Iris's POV)

The African American man sits down in the same chair the teenage boy, Zak, sat in only moments before. There's tension evident in the atmosphere.

"I'm Dr. Solomon Saturday, Iris. How are you feeling?" I nod to say I'm fine. _Je ne veux vraiment pas être ici; Je veux juste rentrer à la maison, où que ce soit. (I don't really want to be here; I want to go home, wherever that is.)_ Dr. Solomon, as I have decided to call him in my mind due to fact that he and his wife are both Dr. Saturday, checks some monitors and charts. "Well, Iris, it looks like we can remove the IV tomorrow. Just remember to drink lots of water."

I decide to take one last 20 minute nap so I can catch up on my sleep without throwing off my pattern. After all, staying awake for a week without food or water is incredibly hard.

(Doc's POV)

Iris sleeps while I go around and check once more that all the fluids and nutrients are running correctly. They are. I sit down in one of the folding chairs adjacent to the bed Iris is in. It's not until I start to relax do I realize how tired I am after this week. A quick nap won't hurt.

_The midnight chill and the damp air settle in my bones, but I can't let that stop me. I have a team to lead and a pregnant wife to care for. To give up now would be the end of both._

_I look once more at the holographic map of Argost's island and country. Miranda, Drew, Henry, Epsilon, Paul, Arthur, and I discuss teams. Drew, Miranda, and Paul will lead Team C; Epsilon, Arthur, and Henry have Team B; I'll lead Team A._

_The airship stops and hovers above the shore. We all slide down ropes from the airship and assemble into our teams. One person in my group talks with Miranda._

"_Derek, you'll be fine. Argost may be evil enough to steal this stone, but he would never kill for it."_

"_Are you sure, Miranda? If he would set fire to camp to steal it, what wouldn't he do to protect it?"_

"_I understand your concern, Derek, but think about it: Argost set fire to an empty tent, so no one was injured. I have to go now, but I swear I'll be back. Just stay close by Solomon." Miranda holds Derek's hands before pulling him into a hug. I walk over to the two._

"_Come on, Derek. Miranda will be just fine," I tell him. Derek walks back to our team while I stay with Miranda. "He'll be fine."_

"_Swear to me you'll protect him," Miranda demands. "Swear to me that he'll walk out of there with you, Solomon."_

"_Sure thing, Miranda. Promise me you'll keep Drew and the baby safe." Miranda nods before we part to join our teams._

_I lead my team in first, followed by the B team, and Team C enters shortly afterwards. Once inside, the other leaders and I reconfirm our meeting place and split up to cover more ground._

_I begin splitting my team into smaller teams in order to search our area of the house faster. Eventually, Derek and I are the only ones left going in the direction we originally planned. We start hearing screaming, crying, yelling, praying, cursing, and cackling. Derek begins reciting Hail Mary's sotto voce. If there's one thing he and Miranda share, it's their faith in God despite dire scenarios._

_Sooner or later, Derek and I reach a forked hallway. I decide that we should split up, but Derek disagrees. I convince him he'll be fine. We part ways._

_I continue down my corridor of choice for about an hour. I hear the groans and curses of other teams as they get lost and circle back around again. I chuckle at the thought of Epsilon, the man who never loses his way, getting lost. By some means, the thought helps me forget about the dark, dank hallway and how I sent Derek off on his own._

_My search continues for several more hours, but I need to find the Kur Stone. At some point, as I walk and search the endless hallway of doors, I hear a scream I've never heard before and hope never to hear again._

"_SOLOMON!" It cries._

"_Derek?" I call out. There's no reply. My heart is pounding as I race in the direction that the scream came from. Despite how long I'd been running down the hallway, it takes me under five minutes to reach the fork where Derek and I split up. I'm not sure where to go, so I take Derek's hallway. As I run, I imagine how heroic I am to do this._

_With the sounds of ticking clocks echoing through my head, I race down the hall. If anything happens to Derek, Miranda will kill me. I really do not want to die this young._

_I run for what feels like forever, but my watch says only two minutes have passed. At this rate, I'll never reach Derek, and Miranda will surely kill me. Hopeless, I punch the wall to my right. It comes toppling down, narrowly missing me. Through the hole, I see a stone room collapse on top of Derek, his two worst fears of dying and being buried alive, before my heart can even beat one more time._

_I begin digging frantically through the stone pile and other rubbish, hoping Derek is still alive. Finally, I hear muffled crying. I keep digging until I find Derek's head; then I dig the rest of him out._

"_Tell . . . my sisters . . . I love them," Derek gasps. I elevate his head and try every other trick I know to keep him alive. This is why Drew is in medical school, not me. "I'm sorry," Derek mumbles before his body goes limp._

"_Derek, stay alive! Miranda will kill me if you die here! I don't want to die, Derek. I've got a wife and a baby on the way," I plead, but Derek's gone._

_The sound of oncoming explosions down the hall surrounds the collapsed room. I try in vain to pull Derek's body from the ruins, but it's gotten stuck between the time I uncovered him to now. I pull harder as the sounds move closer, but his body still won't budge. I apologize to Derek and Miranda before I just from the hallway, barely escaping an explosion and its shock wave._

_The six other team leaders and I meet up at the designated area. I can't help but notice that the rest of their teams aren't here. Drew tilts her head back slightly to indicate what happened to them. Miranda produces the Kur Stone._

"_Did this cause the explosions?" I ask._

"_No. That would be because Arthur wasn't thinking, as usual," Miranda hisses. "Where's Derek?" I look around behind me, trying to act confused. I shrug._

_Drew gives me a look that bores into my conscious. I never want to see that look again as long as I live. "Sol, where is he?"_

_Miranda has a sudden epiphany. "He's dead! I promised you I would keep your wife and child safe all while finding this darn stone! All I asked you to do as keep my brother safe! I did as promised, but you- you couldn't even protect Derek for a few hours! And what about the others?!" Miranda cries, but these tears don't look cool, instead, they look hot enough to burn her. She tosses to stone on the ground with such force, I'm surprised it doesn't break, then she spits at my feet before walking away. Drew reminds her that our airship is the only way off. "Then I'll swim," Miranda retorts._

_A final explosion comes from the house, scaring Drew. She holds her tiny baby bump. "Solomon, the baby's coming."_

My racing heart wakes me up. I swear, every time I almost push that night out of my memory, Derek brings it back. Even in death, he never lets me sleep. I was so cocky back then. I wonder if Derek and the forty two others we lost forgive me.

At dinner, we all sit in silence. Even Doyle doesn't make a smart remark. Somehow, Fiskerton brings up Iris. This stirs conversation over to our dreams. Drew and Zak both say they had dreams about their worst memory too.

"It's Iris. It has to be she. These nightmares never bothered us before," I say. All eyes turn to stare at me. Then Drew begins noting similarities and differences between the circumstances we all had our nightmares.

"Something else happened to me," Zak breaks in. We all look at him. "I was handing the half skeleton a glass of water, and our hands actually touched." I think Zak's statement shocks Drew so much that she forgets to remind him that Iris has a name and gender.

"Hua ba wa! (You love her!)" Fiskerton cries out.

"No, Fisk. Let me finish!" Zak snaps. "When our hands touched, my twelfth birthday replayed in my mind as if it were happening all over again." Zak pauses. "The instant I recoiled, it stopped."

I stand up. "That's it. I want that freak out of here as soon as possible." I turn my head over my shoulder as I walk out of the room. "What kind of monster have you brought here?" The question hits Drew coldly. I turn and close the door.

* * *

><p>Zak: Dark much?<p>

Doc: What did I ever do to you to make me so mean?

Zak: You know I love Wadi, so why am I falling for Iris? Why don't I call Iris by her name?

Doc: Why didn't I take Drew and leave Derek with Miranda?

AB: Enough with the questions! Next time, I just won't invite you back and do it the way I used to. All those questions will be answered in time, except for yours, Dr. Saturday.

Doc: What?!

AB: That's all I've got for now, but I hope to have chapter two out soon. I do have a life outside of fanfiction, though, so my goal of updating weekly isn't happening at this point in time. Thanks so much to the Saturdays for being here! Don't forget to review!


	2. Chapter 2

Hi, everyone! So it turns out I had time this weekend to write this chapter and edit it, so it's up this week! As you can probably tell, I do not have the Saturdays with me today, but in my defense, last chapter did not go well. Let me know if you want the Saturdays to come back or if last chapter was too much. Also, in this chapter, you will discover a little bit as to why this story is rated T. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: _The Secret Saturdays_ belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network.

Chapter 2: Is This Really Happening?

* * *

><p><em>(3rd Person POV)<em>

_The Great Serpent relaxed in his chambers after a long day. His mind flashed back to the day he conquered his first kingdom._

_He had once lived among the gods of Sumer, until they assigned to be the god of the underworld. He was evicted from his home in the sky and forced to make his way down through Earth and into the underworld alone. But before he left, the gods demanded that he gather up all the creatures of death under his control so they could no longer plague the humans. These creatures of death were called cryptids. _

_Once he had settled in the underworld, the Great Serpent left and traveled the world searching for even one cryptid, in hopes that he would be restored to his rightful place with the gods. When he finally found one, his task of controlling them was easier said than done; the gods had forgotten to inform the Great Serpent that his powers over the cryptids were only obtained __**after**_ _conquering their governments._

_The first cryptids the Great Serpent encountered were the Barmanou, and they led one of the three types of cryptid governments: monarchy, republic, or democracy. The Barmanou had a monarchy._

_It was easy for the Great Serpent to gain access to the kingdom, however, seeing the king and queen was not. The Great Serpent was arrested multiple times, and it was not until his execution day that he even lay eyes on the monarchs._

"_Your Majesties," The Great Serpent began as his final words. "Your Majesties, I come from the land of Sumer from the gods. They have asked me to gather all the cryptids, such as your people, and unite them under one power. If you refuse, the gods higher than I will cause terror and havoc never before seen by your people. I advise you with my dying words, to heed my offer." The Great Serpent's voice boomed. Then he bowed to the monarchs, knelt before the executioner, and waited. The executioner raised his sword._

"_Wait!" The queen cried. Her shrill voice resounded in the courtyard of the castle. "Though I do not believe him, spare his life so he may tell us more of this power we are to be united under." The executioner bowed to the queen, and released the Great Serpent._

_Many days the Great Serpent spent telling stories of the single power the cryptids were to be united under. The queen was fascinated by the idea of other cryptids and how they ran their governments. The king feared the wrath of the Sumerian gods. The monarchs agreed to relinquish their power over the Barmanou_ _as long as they could maintain their kingdom. The Great Serpent coincided._

_The next morning, there was a ceremony held to witness the relinquishing of the monarch's power and the transfer of it to the Great Serpent. At the end, the king and queen were still the king and queen, but they would answer to the single power from then on. The Great Serpent received the ability to control and communicate telepathically with the Barmanou._

"_Bow to me," the Great Serpent commanded after the ceremony, and all the Barmanou bowed. The Great Serpent relished his newfound power._

* * *

><p>(Different unknown's POV)<p>

I snoop around the house trying to find any sign of life. When I find no such sign, my heart stops beating for a moment. I don't have time to waste; I have to keep watch. I have to flee, yet I have to stay. I will come again in later days.

(Iris's POV)

Dr. Drew removes the IV in the morning. Blood rushes to the hole the needle made, but Dr. Drew soon bandages it.

"Tu es tous ensemble, Iris. (You're all set, Iris.)" I practically leap from the bed, but I restrain myself and sit calmly. I can't wait to get out of here and get back to Master. I feel awful about leaving the manor in the state it was in, but with some hard work and dedication, it will look brand new.

I also feel horrible about what I thought during my week in the cage. Master would never hurt me unless I either deserved it or would become stronger from it. Master saved me from the world and myself. He would never leave me alone without a reason.

"Iris, puis-je te parler? (Iris, may I talk to you?)" Dr. Drew asks, breaking my thoughts. I nod and listen to her. She may be the enemy, but Master still said to rise above his foes. Oh, how I hope Master comes for me soon. I do not like being plunder here. "Iris, veux-tu rester avec nous jusqu'à ce que nous pouvons comprendre où et avec qui tu es légalement censé rester? (Iris, would you like to stay with us until we can figure out where and with whom you're legally supposed to stay?)" I know I need to get back to Master, but part of me also knows that he needs the information I can gather by staying with the enemy. I nod.

Dr. Drew dismisses me, so I depart to the hallway after she leaves the room. Zak- or really Mister Zak, if I am to rise above Master's enemies- stops me. I try not to make eye contact because I wasn't allowed to make it with Master, so I'm definitely not allowed to make it as plunder of his archfoes.

"I can show you the room you'll be staying in. Oh, and you might want to put these on," Mister Zak says as he hands me a pair of gloves. To say thanks, I bob a slight curtsy before sliding on the gloves. I'm not sure if I'm ready to trust these people, but I'll do whatever it takes to gather the information Master needs.

The room is nice, I guess. It has a pretty large bed against the right wall, a window on the back wall, a closet and a door (which I assume leads to the bathroom) on the left wall. There are bedside tables next to the bed on either side and a lamp on each table. I've never stayed in a room like this before. Master gave me a single person bed with a dresser and an alarm clock, but that is everything I need from a bedroom. I used a bathroom down the hall from my room at Master's manor.

Afraid to say anything, but utterly uncertain, I hover near the door. Mister Zak must notice because he promises it's okay that I'm rooming there. But the problem isn't if it's okay; the problem is I don't want to get used to it and betray Master's trust. Mister Zak waves goodbye, and I bob him a quick curtsy. I look down at the gloves on my hands, and then look around the room. Is it better to stay here with the enemy to gain information Master needs, or is it better to return to Master as soon as possible?

(Zak's POV)

Mom and Dad debate with each other for an incredibly long time. Mom says we should welcome Iris and make her feel welcome and safe. Dad says we could throw her out on the streets for all he cares. Mom starts yelling at him for his insensitivity, and he starts yelling back at her for being too trusting and not putting safety first.

Fisk comes up next to me outside Mom and Dad's door. He listens to the yelling match for a couple minutes before looking down at me. Fisk picks me up and hugs me. He knows how much Mom and Dad fighting bothers me.

Komodo and Zon walk in on us, and they too listen to the argument. It's gotten heated now, and things are starting to break. We hear the crashing of a glass object falling.

"You're controlling!" Mom cries.

"You believe in fairytales!" Dad retorts.

"You're a narcissist!"

"You're a horrible doctor!" The argument gets worse from there. The worst part it, it's not yet noon. Usually their fights happen at night, when they think I'm asleep.

Fisk suggests we go for a walk. I point out that we're on the airship, so he suggests we walk around the airship and see what we can find, like when we were kids. Komodo and Zon are eager to do so.

The four of us walk by Iris's temporary room on our way to the cockpit. The other's don't seem to notice her, but with the door wide open, it's easy for me to see her standing at the foot of the bed looking around. She seems almost scared to touch anything. I wonder how long she's been standing there.

"Iris, why don't you come with us, and we'll show you around the airship?" I offer. She looks out the window behind her, sees nothing that interests her, and nods. She walks out of the room and stands a little behind me. I look over my shoulder and notice Iris appears uneasy. There goes any chance of me asking her to walk next to me.

Our group of five wanders around the airship for a while. There's not really a lot to show Iris. I point out the cockpit, the training room, the Griffin's hangar, and the living spaces. As much as I want to, I decide not to show her the weapons closets, considering where Mom found her.

**CRASH!** I change direction and head towards the noise. I hope Mom and Dad haven't broken anything, or anyone, yet.

The five of us skid to a stop outside Mom and Dad's room. The door flies open, and Mom storms out with Doyle right behind her. Dad stands in the middle of the room, oblivious, it seems, to the reality of the argument. Mom and Dad's wedding picture is facedown on the floor. Dad picks it up; the glass is shattered. He slams the picture down the bed and huffs from the room. I've never seen him so mad before, not even at Doyle.

I take one look back behind me to see if Iris is still there. She is, but her downcast eyes and long face give the illusion that she's only here physically. When she finally looks up, I can't help but notice the flash of emotions in her eyes. I sense pain, fear, delight, and empathy all rolled into her one being. I feel sorry for her and wish she never had to experience everything she did.

With one last glance at the torn apart bedroom, Fisk leads me away. I don't ever want to hear a fight like that again, nor do I ever want to see the effects again. Science dictates that opposites attract, but that's clearly not the case when love is involved. The picture frame falls off the bed, and with a dull CRACK the frame breaks in two.

"I'm sure they'll replace the frame, Zak. It's not the first time they've fought," Fisk mumbles. I smiles weakly; I'm not so sure.

(Doyle's POV)

I walk with Drew, guiding her as she stumbles through her tears. I hate Doc, I really do. Everyone knows that Drew is the only immediate family I've got left, so I'll die before someone hurts her. She may be older than I, but family is still family.

"I'm okay, Doyle, I promise. Thank you," Drew whispers hoarsely. She wraps me in a hug that I can't help but return. "Promise me you won't do anything radical, okay." I nod, not really listening, only hearing her words. I wait a few minutes with Drew before leaving the room for a moment. It kills me to see her trapped in a marriage with this man; it kills me to see her crying like this on a weekly basis. Honestly, Solomon had better pull his act together or he's going to get his butt kicked. I see him coming this way.

"Solomon," I call as he walks by. He completely ignores me. "Solomon!" I try again, but he ignores me again. I tag Zak. "Mini-man, do me a favor."

"Sure thing, Doyle. What is it?" Zak asks.

"Get your father over here. He has quite a lot of explaining to do." Zak runs off after his father, and brings him to me. "Scoot along, kiddo. I'll see you later." With that, Zak runs off. Solomon rolls his eyes at me.

"What do you want, Doyle?"

"An explanation and an apology." Solomon shakes his head. "You heard me. Start explaining. What that heck makes you think it's okay to push my sister around and make her cry?"

"Why do you care? It's none of your business,"He retorts.

"She's my sister, therefore it's my business. Start explaining, old man." Solomon opens his mouth as if to start explaining, but he doesn't. Instead he mouths a single word.

"No." With that said, he starts to walk away, but there's no way in heck I'm letting him get away with hurting my sister. I tackle him from behind. If there's one thing I learned from my time as a mercenary and at the orphanages, it's never turn her back to your enemy.

Solomon fights back, but he knows he's at the disadvantage. As a rule of fights, whoever makes the first move usually always has the upper hand. Before long, I remove his battle glove and toss it out the room. Now he has no weapons, while I have quite a few; he also cannot see out of his right eye, therefore he's vulnerable to attack from that side. I'm just about to sneak behind him and unleash a couple concussion grenades when I notice Drew in the doorway.

"Drew, I can-"

"No. Don't. Step away from each other, both you. Doyle, go to your room until I think of a better punishment, Solomon, go clean the airship." Drew walks out of the room, tear stains still on her cheeks. I feel ashamed of myself for fighting Solomon instead of rising above it and helping Drew. I brush myself off, walk over to Solomon, and extend my hand.

"Peace, but only for Drew."

Solomon looks at me funny, then shakes my hand. "Peace, but only for Drew." With that, we go to the areas Drew sent us. It still kills me to know Drew's trapped in a marriage with a man like him.

(Zak's POV)

Fisk, Zon, Komodo, and I all sit on the couch while Iris stands, rocking on her heels. No one dares say a word, especially not Iris. I crane my neck around and ask Iris to go find Doyle. She nods her head and runs off without a word.

"What was that for?" Fisk asks.

"I don't actually want Doyle right now, I just wanted her out for a while," I explain. Fisk nods. "Hey, Fisk?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't think Mom and Dad are going to divorce do you?" I ask.

"No. They just had a fight. All couples do, but they make up in the end."

"It's true, Zak. Your parents used to fight all the time before you were born. Sometimes they got even worse than today's, but in the end they made up. I wouldn't worry too much about it, Zak," Komodo reassures me. Iris returns and shakes her head.

"Thanks," I say to everyone in the room. Then I get up and leave. I go to my bedroom and lie down. I don't even try to sleep. I just bury my face in my comforter and bury myself in thoughts. I dare not cry.

A slight rapping on my door breaks my thought some time later. I look up, and it's Iris. She looks down at the floor a few feet into the room. I invite her in. She sets a cup of water down on my bedside table, and stands there calmly. When I invite her to sit down, she looks panicked, but I promise her I won't tell anyone. She inches closer to the bed. I scoot over, and she eventually sits down next to me. She seems alarmed when the mattress sinks under her weight.

"It's okay, Iris. It's not hurting you." She relaxes a bit. "Iris, did your parents ever fight?" Iris shakes her head no. I change the subject. "What do you do for fun?" I get a blank look in return. "Fun. Like playing games, or pulling pranks, or things like that." She continues to give me a blank look. "Did you parents not let you have fun?" Iris looks past the window. When she looks back to me, she seems more frightened than before. "What's the matter?" Iris shakes her head and stands up, anxious to leave the room. "One last thing," I stop her. "Why don't you talk to us?" She panics, shakes her head, and flees from the room.

I stay in my room for the rest of the day. I don't even come out for lunch or dinner. At bedtime, Fisk comes in, tucks me in, and reads me a story, as he always does. Normally I would argue with him, but today hasn't been a good day, and it's not worth the energy anyways. Fisk sits down on my comforter next to me, and we absorb the silence.

"Fisk, I don't know what to do anymore. Ever since Antarctica last year, life has been going south for me as we fight this uphill battle. Mom and Dad used to fight at night, when everyone else was asleep, but today- Fisk, what if they do divorce? I don't want to choose between Mom and Dad." Fisk holds me, but even he knows my words are true. "Why? Why is our family falling apart? And now that Iris is here, things have only gotten worse." My throat gets tight. I shut up before I start crying.

"I don't know, Zak. I honestly do not know. All I know is that Mom and Dad are simply stressed right now, and neither of them handles stress very well. As for Iris, she's been taken from her home and brought here. We don't know anything about her besides her first name, her first language, and where and how Mom found her. I'm sure Mom knows Iris's last name, but I wouldn't push it, okay?"

"Okay, Fisk."

"Goodnight, little brother. Love you."

"Goodnight, big brother. Love you too." I start to yawn and roll over on my side. Before I know it, I'm asleep. I dream of things so blurred, crazed, confused, and rushed, that my heart wakes me at two in the morning.

"You never listen to me, ever!" Mom cries.

"Why should I, when all you ever do is whine and complain?" Dad retorts.

"Do you have any idea how hard right now is for me?!"

"No, because I don't know what it's like to have an affair and then see the results come waltzing into my life one day!"

"So that's what you think this is all about?! Iris?! You know perfectly well the Leonidas and I never slept together. I've been faithful to this marriage, to you, to my family for over 14 years!"

"And why should I believe any of what is coming from your mouth?!"

"Why don't you believe me?! Fine, run a DNA test on Iris! See if I care!" There's silence for a few moments.

"Who are you calling, Drew?" There's no answer. "Look, I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean it. Please forgive me."

"You should be sorry." With that all noise stops, and time stands still. I wouldn't know I'm alive if not for my pounding heart. I take a few deep breaths to slow my heart down. When I'm finally calm enough, I pick up my book to finish the last chapter.

I close the book once I finish. Then I drop off to sleep; the last paragraph haunts my dreams.

_He walked to the end of the bridge and looked below at the raging waters. He turned and looked at his home, his family, and his friends back in the town, stricken ill by the disease his misfortune brought. He looked back the raging water and jumped. As a splash swallowed him whole, and water filled his lungs, he had but one thought on his mind: "Goodbye, beloved home. Maybe now my death will heal you."_

* * *

><p>Well that went . . . interestingly. I suppose that's what I get for letting Zak and Doyle drive for this chapter. I hope to have the next chapter out before too long, so let me know what you all think of <em>Kur Unfurled<em> so far! Love you all so much!


	3. Chapter 3

Hi, everyone. As you can tell, I have not invited the Saturdays back for this chapter either, partly because I don't think Doc is happy about the way he's been acting in the story. Anyways, I'm sorry this is a little late, as I've been really busy lately. Here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: _The Secret Saturdays_ belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network.

Chapter 3: The Will

* * *

><p><em>(3rd Person POV)<em>

_The Great Serpent chuckled to himself as he thought of the Barmanou once again. His eyes glowed a flaming white, a white that only his scales matched, and smiled. How he loved to mess around with the Barmanou; he told the newest king and queen to shave their fur and run around their kingdom like insane creatures. The Great Serpent's eyes stopped glowing a few minutes after he gave the command, and he began laughing loudly to himself. Gulama entered the room, bowed to the Great Serpent, and joined in his laughter._

"_Gulama, what have I sssaid about bothering me? Get out of my chambersss," the Great Serpent hissed. Gulama slithered away._

"_You really should be nicer to her, the other nagas, and the other cryptids over which you've gained control. Yes, I'm talking about your little Barmanou trick just now," an authoritative voice interrupts the Great Serpent's thoughts._

"_And if I'm not, your Majesssty?" the Great Serpent hisses in disgust._

"_Then we'll punish you even worse than last time. Does your inability to say 's' correctly not bother you?" the god taunted._

"_Why did you come here? What do you want? You know you have no power here," the Great Serpent demanded._

"_To see why the Pogeyan have been lurking near villages in India, only to run away leaving only insulting reminders that they are still around." The god took a breath. "I seem to have found the answer after witnessing you toying with the Barmanou." The Great Serpent huffed in response. "The other gods and I are serious. You've got to cut it out, or we'll do something you'll never forget and we're bound to regret." With that, the god leaves._

"'_The other godsss and I are ssseriousss. You've to cut it out, or we'll do sssomething you'll never forget and we're bound to regret.' My tail!" the Great Serpent said, mocking the god. The Great Serpent looked out the entrance to the Naga's caves. How far would the gods go?_

* * *

><p>(Drew's POV)<p>

I hang up the phone and sigh. This is not how I planned to spend my day. Doc joins me in the kitchen, but I quickly turn my back to him. I don't want anything to do with him after yesterday.

"Honey, I said I was sorry, What more do you want me to do?" he whines. I keep snubbing him. I take a look at the phone, hoping the person will call back and tell me he had the wrong number or that he misread the name, but I know that won't happen. My feet walk me from the kitchen and into the living room, but life seems so surreal that I don't think about it. I sit down in a chair and notice Iris staring out the window.

"Iris, j'ai reçu un appel, et je pense que tu dois savoir à ce sujet. (Iris, I got a call today, and I think you need to know about it.)" I start. Iris turns to look at me. "Un homme m'a appelé, et il a mentionné la volonté de ton père. Très probablement, la volonté va nous dire où tu es censé aller. Es-tu prête? (A man called me, and he mentioned your father's will. Most likely, the will will tell us where you're supposed to go. Are you ready?)" Iris looks down at the floor; she doesn't seem sure. "Si elle ne la fait pas, serais-tu toujours prête à rester avec nous? (If it doesn't, would you still be willing to stay with us?)" Iris glances out the window hopelessly, then she looks back, and nods. "D'accord. Merci, Iris. (Okay. Thank you, Iris.)"

I leave the living room, and go sit in the library, a library exactly like the one we used to have at the house. No one remembers we have an airship library because everything is electronic these days; I guess that's why I like it so much.

My hands feel over the worn covers of the books. I find the one I'm looking for pretty quickly because it's the one I always look at one bad days. I open the cover and turn to the first page. It's a picture of me and Doc rock climbing next to each other; the date below it reads, "August 10, 1995." I smile at how young and innocent I was back then. Had I known how things would have turned out, I might have changed the story, though.

The next picture is my first date with Doc, back when we were both in college, I as a cryptozoologist and medical doctor major, and he as a STEM major; we were both near graduating with doctorates. I remember the night Doc came to pick me up from my dorm for our first date. Oh, how my roommate hated him. It was quite funny actually to hear she and Doc arguing while I finished last minute makeup.

The pictures progress through our relationship, up until when I was about twenty-five. The pictures stop there, and it's easy to recall why. When I confessed to my roommate about cause of the hiatus, she laughed at first, said she'd been right all along, and then worked with me for a long time to get over it. During that time, Doc and I got married and then went to Iraq to uncover the Kur Stone as part of my thesis for my cryptozoology doctorate degree. I celebrated my twenty-sixth birthday over there that October, but we did not find the Stone until that January. The same day we found it, a man named Vincent Vladislav Argost made off with the Kur Stone. Doc and I gathered a team of fifty, consisting of members of a science organization Doc and I had joined. We raided Argost's manor, found the Stone, and came out with only seven. I don't know what happened to everyone, but I know for certain that Dr. Derek Grey died in there. That same night, Zak was born.

The rest of the scrapbook is just pictures of our family adventures, leading up Zak's eleventh birthday. After that, the pictures became less and less until they come down to only birthdays and holidays. The last picture in the book is Zak's thirteenth birthday; we were all so happy, even if times were tough. I wish we could be like that again.

I close the book, and slide it back on the shelf. Tomorrow is Doc's birthday, but I don't want anything to do with him right now. I hug my knees in close to me and just sit. I look at my watch; it's eleven in the morning, and we're meeting the lawyer at one this afternoon.

(Iris's POV)

It's been one week and three days since I last saw Master, and I'm starting to worry. It's not that he hasn't disappeared for months at a time before, he has, but I'm worried because I have no instructions, no rules, no guidelines, nothing. _Pourrait Maître mort? Je l'espère. Si il était mort, je serais sûrement mort. (Could Master be dead? I hope not. If he were dead, I would surely die.)_

My mind reverts my thoughts to what Dr. Drew said about Father's will. _Qu'advient-il si je suis dans la volonté? Qu'advient-il si je ne suis pas? Que faire si le père veut les Saturdays pour prendre soin de moi? Je ne peux pas être toujours silencieux. Vais-je être de la famille, un paria, ou une servante? Qu'est-ce qu'une volonté? (What happens if I'm in the will? What happens if I'm not? What if Father wants the Saturdays to take care of me? I can't be silent forever. Will I be family, an outcast, or servant? What is a will?)_

I'm so distracted by my thoughts that I don't see the ladybug on the windowsill until after I put my hand on it. In shock, I pull my hand back, see the dying ladybug, and scoop it up. Most people would normally take it out of its misery, but I have another plan. I cup my other hand over the ladybug without squishing it. Next I imagine the pain and fear the ladybug must be experiencing and imagine my own comfort and assurance; I envision the opposing feelings switching places as the ladybug takes back health and life, while I experience the pain of every bone in my body being broken. It hurts, a lot, and I almost start crying, but it's over as soon as it started. When I open my eyes, the ladybug is flying around, full of life once again. Meanwhile, I feel drained, but I'm glad I saved a life.

I don't know how I got this healing power, or really any of my powers, but I know that's why Master took care of me. He wanted to protect me and my powers from people like the Saturdays, so they couldn't use them for evil purposes. Master warned me that people would use my healing powers to save themselves if there were war, use my cryptid powers for a war, and use my elemental powers for harm. The Saturdays don't seem like that's what they want from me, but I can never be too sure with Master's enemies.

"A penny for your thoughts, Iris." I stiffen. _Qui était-ce, et pourquoi ils continuent d'acheter mes pensées pour un sou?_ (_Who was that, and why do they to buy my thoughts for a penny?)_ "Relax, Iris. It's just a saying. What are you thinking?" I turn around and see the green Komodo Dragon the Saturdays have. I think his name is Komodo.

I bend down and kneel so that I'm on Mister Komodo's level. I feel his eyes scanning me, but I try not to let him know that. Any indication could give me away.

"Iris, we don't want to hurt you. Drew wants the best for you right now. She understands your pain from your father's death," Mister Komodo continues. I study the floor to my right. This airship really needs a good cleaning, I'm noticing. "It's about eleven thirty now, if you want to get cleaned up before we meet the lawyer in a few hours." After those words, Mister Komodo leaves. I stand up, look out the window one last time, and head to the room I'm staying in.

I walk in the bathroom, look around, and immediately lose my bearings; I've never seen a bathroom this big before. There's a toilet with feet of space around it, a sink and large counter. Across from the sink, there's a bathtub-shower cross. I must be dreaming, that or the Saturdays are trying to tempt me into betraying Master.

Eventually, I figure the bathroom out, and I take a shower. However, the hot and cold water faucets confused me; I burned myself at first, then I froze myself, and then I finally got the temperature near comfortable. It felt weird to have relaxing warm water after using only refreshing cold for so long. Afterwards, drying off with a soft towel took some, no, actually a lot, of getting used to.

Nothing is happening when I finish in the bathroom, so I start looking around. I can't seem to find anyone, not even Mister Komodo or Mr. Blackwell. I wander around the living area of the airship, grateful Mister Zak showed me around the other day.

My eyes happen upon a clock on the stove. _Oh mes étoiles! Comment est-il arrivé d'être midi ?! Où tout le monde pourrait être? Pourrait-ce tous ont été un truc, me prenant ici, en agissant comme ils me veulent, l'organisation d'un avocat faux, et ensuite me laisser seul? Il est exactement comme Maître a dit se passerait-il si les Saturdays m'a trouvé. Oh, Maître, où êtes-vous ?! _(_Oh my stars! How did it get to be noon?! Where could everyone be? Could this all have been a trick, taking me here, acting like they like me, arranging for a fake lawyer, and then leaving me alone? It's exactly like Master said would happen if the Saturdays found me. Oh, Master, where are you?!)_

(Fisk's POV)

Zak, Komodo, Zon, and I are all in Zak's room, sitting in a circle. We're supposed to be playing a board game, according to Mom's instructions, but we're all staring at each other. No one speaks.

"Why did Mom ask us to do this, again?" Zak finally asks.

"Because she and your father had a conference call to make, and they don't want us interrupting. And as for Doyle, he's been banished to his room too, so don't even think about trying anything funny," Komodo growls. I swear he's no fun.

"Can we start the game now? I call green!" I say, but the only replies are glares from the other three. "Fine, then. I'll go find Iris and play with her." I stand up to leave.

"NO. Drew asked us to stay in here, so that's what we'll do. Besides, Doc doesn't want us to associate with Iris for the time being," Komodo cuts in.

Eventually, I convince the others to play the game, but they aren't really into it as much as I am. It ends up costing them the game, as I win for the fifth time. I pause after rolling the dice.

"Why aren't you guys paying attention? I've already won five games, and you don't care. Wake up, you guys! Zak, why aren't you going crazy trying to beat me?" I whine. No one cares. "Fine then." I get up and leave. Mom and Dad said the call would only take thirty five minutes; they called at noon, and it's 12:35 now. Suddenly, the airship lands. I'm so startled that I race back to Zak's room, slam the door, and press my back against the door while heaving. I think Mom and Dad are off to meet with the lawyer.

(Drew's POV)

Doc, Iris, and I get off the airship and head towards the place I agreed to meet the lawyer at. Doc's grumbling about what an inconvenience this is, and Iris is twisting her hands in the gloves Zak gave her.

We open the door to the lawyer's office and step inside. The clock reads exactly one. "Good afternoon, Dr. Saturday and Dr. Saturday. How are you both?" The lawyer's voice reminds me of nails of a chalkboard. I shudder.

"We're well. How are you, Mr. Scheef?" I ask politely.

"I'm very well, thank you, Madame," the lawyer answers, throwing some French into his speech, even if he addressed me incorrectly. "And this," the lawyer looks over Iris, "must be the Iris I've read about. Comment es-tu, ma chérie? (How are you my dearie?)" Iris stiffens and nods. She has to be the most uncomfortable one here.

"She doesn't speak to anyone," I explain.

"Ah, yes. I remember that."

"Can we get on with the will?" Doc asks impatiently.

"Solomon!" I cry.

"No, no. It's quite all right. Your husband has a point," Mr. Scheef's weasel-like face twists as he contemplates the will's location. "Ah, I found it," he exclaims as he pulls out a file. Iris stands stiffly as the lawyer talks on on about little things Leonidas left her. She doesn't seem to know what to think. "And finally," Mr. Scheef pauses, "custody of Iris goes to . . ." Mr. Scheef holds out the pause far too long. ". . . me." Iris stiffens and looks down at the floor. Doc seems relieved; I don't know what to feel. "I'm kidding. Custody goes to you, the Saturdays."

Iris looks unsure of whether to tense up even more or to relax. I can't speak for her, but my guess is that she prefers us over Mr. Scheef, but I also know that none of us are on the best of terms right now.

"Thank you, Mr. Scheef," I say, standing up.

"My pleasure, Dr. Saturday." Mr. Scheef's weasel-like face contorts to look even more weasel-like as he pushes us out the door to his office. The door slams shut.

"So now what, Drew?" Doc whispers.

"I don't know. I've never had a daughter before, and especially not Argost's servant for one," I whisper back.

(Iris's POV)

Once we're all back on the airship, I begin to relax a little. _Comment? Comment est-ce possible? Père ne peut pas être sérieux. Il doit y avoir une erreur. (How? How is this possible? Father can't be serious. There has to be a mistake.)_ I look back at the closed ramp off the airship. _Alors ça y est? Je préfère rester avec M. Scheef que les Saturdays. Au moins, je savais que M. Scheef avant maintenant. (So that's it? I'd rather stay with Mr. Scheef than with the Saturdays. At least I knew Mr. Scheef before now.)_ I find myself looking at the Saturdays. _Je fais partie de les Saturdays maintenant. Maître est pas mon maître plus. (I belong to the Saturdays now. Master is not my master anymore.)_ The reality of my situation begins settling in. I take a deep breath and try to calm myself down. I know this isn't worth getting upset.

Everyone spends the rest of the day in their own space, and I don't blame them. Taking in a servant is hard, especially if you're not used to having one. To try and make the transition easier, I make and serve lunch to everyone, wash dishes, clean up the airship, and just stay out of everyone's way. No one objects, but I want so badly for someone to hate me and force Dr. Drew and Dr. Solomon to take me back to Master. But that will never happen.

That night, after everyone else has gone to bed and been asleep, I return to the guest bedroom. It doesn't feel right to have a bedroom like this now that I know my place here; I lie down on the carpeted floor and stare up at the ceiling for a while. I can't sleep, nor do I feel like it.

"What are we supposed to do with her? Tell me, Drew! We can't keep her, and you know that!" Dr. Solomon yells.

"And why not? We've kept Komodo, haven't we?!" Dr. Drew yells back. I've been listening to their voices all night, but this is the first time they've yelled all night.

"Komodo is different! He's family!"

"So is Iris now! Look, I had no idea Leonidas had any children when he asked me about the will!"

"So you knew?! You knew he was making a will, and that there was a child custody clause in there, and you still agreed?! Drew!" Dr. Solomon yells, trying to hide the hurt in his voice.

"Yes, I knew. But, Doc, how do you say no to your friend when he asks you if you would take in his future children if anything were to happen to him and his future wife? That would be like if Lisa asked you to take in her kids if anything happened to her and her husband. You wouldn't be able to decline."

"Oh, so it's 'Leonidas', now?! What happened to 'Van Rook'?!" Dr. Solomon yells.

"It's always been 'Leonidas', just never when you were around." Dr. Drew pauses for a moment and says so softly I can barely hear her, "Goodnight, Doc. Happy birthday." A door slams, and then there's silence.

I roll over on my left side and face the wall adjacent to Dr. Drew and Dr. Solomon's bedroom. For the first time since I told my father goodbye, I cry, but this time, I hold nothing back. All of this over a stupid sheet up paper with my father's signature on it.

* * *

><p>Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but there's a lot happening to compensate. I'm really sorry about this being late, and the next few chapters will most likely be late too. I've just got a lot going on in my life right now. Thank you all so much for reading! Don't forget to review, follow, favorite, or all three! If you have any suggestions or constructive critiques, please let me know. Thank you all so much once again!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Zak: Hey, everybody! We're back!

AB: (Hangs head in hands)

Zak: What?

AB: Nothing. Obviously, the Saturdays are back for this chapter. Yes, I've talked with everyone, and they've agreed to not interrupt me. (Glares at Zak) Also, Doc and Drew aren't talking to each other, and Doc is giving me the cold shoulder. You won't be hearing much from them.

Zak: And don't forget how mad Fisk and Zon got at you earlier.

AB: They don't like me either.

Zak: Then they ran off. Doyle and Komodo are out chasing them.

AB: (Partially whining) Zak, you agreed. (Normal voice) Besides, Iris is here with us too.

Zak: WHAT?! (Starts fuming at AB. Gets ready to pounce.)

AB: (Quickly and fearfully) Disclaimer: _The Secret Saturdays_ belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network. Here's Chapter 4: Surprise!

* * *

><p><em>(3rd Person POV)<em>

_Shortly after the Great Serpent conquered the Barmanou, he had to leave. He knew there were other cryptids out there to win over. He waved farewell to the Barmanou, reminding them that he was never too far away. They cheered._

_His search led him to India, where the Pogeyan were terrorizing villages. The Great Serpent came in the dead of the night, because he had learned how humans reacted to huge, white serpents with red eyes, and these reactions were more often than not, bad._

"_Look at that repulsive creature. I wonder why it's here," some of Pogeyan whispered to each other._

"_I wonder if the Elected One brought it here," others would reply. The Great Serpent tried not to care._

_It only took a few days near the Pogeyan establishment for the Great Serpent to figure what kind of government they had. All they talked about were the upcoming elections and candidates; the Pogeyan had a democracy._

_The Great Serpent was not welcome in the establishment, and he was forced to remain outside, only entering under careful supervision. Although this treatment bothered him, but the Great Serpent tried not to let the Pogeyan know. This mistreatment only got worse during the elections._

_A new leader was finally elected, after several ties. The new leader was more open to the Great Serpent, and she invited him to stay in the establishment. The Great Serpent, gratefully accepted and spent three weeks with the Pogeyan._

"_So," the new leader addressed the Great Serpent one afternoon, "what brings you to our establishment?" The leader scooted over on the bench she sat on to make room for the Great Serpent. The Great Serpent sat down, leaving space between himself and the leader._

"_I'm on a mission." The Great Serpent sighed. "The gods of Sumer have sent me around the world to convince all the cryptids to leave humans alone and join together under a single power." The Great Serpent's soft eyes looked past the Pogeyan leader. "I'm not sure I can do it." The Pogeyan slid closer to the Great Serpent and wrapped her paw around him._

"_Of course you can, my dear. In fact, I'll even give you my new powers if they'll help you." The Pogeyan snuggled against the Great Serpent, purring. _

"_Thank you, Ms. Elected One," the Great Serpent smiled._

"_Please call me, Agrata."_

"_Okay, Agrata. Call me Alborz." There was a pause in their conversation for a few moments. It was a sweet silence._

"_I love you," Agrata finally purred to the Great Serpent. He looked in shock at Agrata. He had grown fond of her, yes, but he could never love her._

_The next day, Agrata informally handed over her powers to control the Pogeyan to the Great Serpent. Agrata smiled flirtingly at the Great Serpent, but he smiled back sadly. He did not want to hurt her._

_After the transfer, the Great Serpent began to make leave, hoping Agrata would not see him go. He had his back turned to the other end of the hallway as he tried to leave._

"_My love, do you not want to stay with me? After all I have given you?" Agrata asked painfully when she saw the Great Serpent leaving._

"_Agrata, I must leave. I have to finish my mission. I am eternally grateful to you for what you've given me, and I hope to pay you back some day. But I have to go. I'll come back though." The Great Serpent tried many times to console Agrata._

"_You do not love me, do you, Alborz? You only wanted my powers."_

"_Agrata, you know that is not true."_

"_Yes, it is. You used me!" Agrata cried. She took a deep breath and finished calmly, "I think it's best if you left now, before you can cause anymore damage."_

"_Agreed." With that the Great Serpent left. _

_Though he had never loved Agrata, he had cared about her. It hurt the Great Serpent to see her so heartbroken. He continued on his journey in order to forget her._

* * *

><p>(Iris's POV)<p>

I wake up later that morning, the morning of Dr. Solomon's birthday. The clock in the bedroom says it's about six in the morning. _Zut! Je suis en retard! (Dang! I'm late!)_ I hurry to get dressed and ready and start breakfast before anyone realizes my error.

Knowing, from all the information Master had on the Saturday family, that Dr. Solomon's favorite food is beignets, I start right away. After those are done, I scramble eggs, make bacon, brew coffee, and wash some fruit. By the time all of that is finished, it's close to eight. I clean up, set the table, keep the food warm.

No one wakes up until almost ten. They all smile when they smell breakfast. Dr. Solomon emerges from another guest bedroom. He seems pretty grumpy, but he has every right to be after what happened last night and early this morning. He walks over to the kitchen.

"Dad, look at what's for breakfast!" Mister Fiskerton shouts.

"I see," Dr. Solomon replies coldly.

"Happy birthday, Dad," Mister Zak says cheerfully.

"Thank you, Zak." No one says anything for a few moments. Dr. Solomon gets a serving of breakfast without a word. The tension in the atmosphere is extremely flamboyant.

Dr. Drew and Mr. Blackwell soon wake up. Things really start to heat up after that. I try to stay out of everyone's way, and it seems to be doing some good. Everything seems to be okay; no one has yelled at anyone yet.

Breakfast is soon over, and everyone goes to separate places in the airship. Well, almost everyone; Dr. Drew stays behind as I clean up. She watches me, as if she's unsure of what to think.

"Le petit déjeuner a était bon. Merci, Iris. (Breakfast was good. Thank you, Iris.)" Dr. Drew walks over closer to me. "Comment sais-tu nourriture préférée de Doc est beignets? (How did you know Doc's favorite food is beignets?)" Dr. Drew asks softly. I look down. She nods understandingly. "Tu ne devois pas nous parler, Iris, mais je aimeriez entendre ta voix un jour. (You don't have to talk to us, Iris, but I'd like to hear your voice one day.)" I nod, trying to know for myself when that day will be. Dr. Drew gets up to leave, but she stops just in front of the doorframe. "Je tu souhaite de vivre avec nous, même s'il est pas de sitôt. Je prie pour que tu réalises ton rôle ici est différent de celui précédemment. Tu ne devois pas être une servante plus longtemps. (I hope you enjoy living with us, even if it's not anytime soon. I pray you realize your role here is different than previously. You don't have to be a servant any longer.)" Dr. Drew walks out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

_Cela ne peut pas être juste. Pourquoi ne puis-je faire quelque chose de mal, et être retourné à Maître? Pourquoi veulent-ils me garder? (This cannot be right. Why can't I just do something wrong, and be returned to Master? Why do they want to keep me?)_

(Doc's POV)

My birthday passes without much happening. No strange cryptid sightings, no weird scientific discoveries we need to record, nothing. It doesn't seem right. Even Zak and Fiskerton behave themselves, which is a first. Doyle doesn't make any smart remarks either.

"All right, Drew. What's going on? What are you all planning?" I ask.

"Nothing, Doc. You said you wanted a day to just relax for your birthday, so we're giving it to you." I look around. It is relaxing. "But we can do anything you want."

"Okay. I'll let you know if anything comes to mind. Thanks, Drew." I start to take a step away, but I stop myself. "Honey?"

"Yes, Doc?"

"I'm sorry about the way I've been acting lately. I love you."

"I'm sorry too, Doc." Drew hugs me. "Love you too, Big Guy. Happy birthday."

We spend the rest of the morning just relaxing and enjoying not having to worry. Drew takes a couple pictures of us as a family. Iris chooses to stay out of them, so we don't push her. This has to be the most awkward day for her. _I don't even like her, and I'm empathizing with her! What's gotten into me?_

The afternoon is pretty quiet, and no one is complaining. Iris makes a few appearances here and there to clean up or serve lunch, but she never says a word, not that I'm complaining or anything. After lunch, I pull Drew aside and ask her if we can do something for my birthday later today.

"Drew, could we go back to Seward? To the house?"

"Doc, are you sure you want to do that? You remember the last time we were there." I give Drew a pleading look. "What time do you want to be there?"

"Before it gets dark, please."

"Doc, it's May. Even if it does get dark before we arrive, it won't be for very long."

"In a few hours then."

"I'll change our course." Drew walks away, leaving me alone. _Why do I want to go back? What am I hoping to find there? Why do I want to see reminders of the past?_

A few hours later, we land at the house. Fisk fidgets once he sees where we are. Zak calms him down, but even Zak seems a little uneasy. I can't say that I blame them, though. It's hard to forget the past with a reminder this big.

"Why is this what you wanted, Doc?" Komodo asks.

"I want to rebuild our lives, Komodo. I know we can never forget what has happened to us, but it's time we moved on from last year," I explain. Komodo growls his approval before walking away. The others and I begin looking over the grounds and the ruins.

That night, back in the airship, Drew and I are awake, talking to each other. We discuss floor plans for the new house, the price of building the new house, who will room where, et cetera.

"What about Iris?" Drew finally asks the unspoken question.

"She's staying with us, right? Therefore, she needs a room," I conclude.

"But I thought you didn't like her."

"I don't, but that doesn't mean I've a right to be cruel to her." I pause. "Why don't we design the new house to look like the old one?"

"What about the costs? How will we afford those?"

"Drew, with three working adults, I'm sure we'll be able to pay for it."

"That's just it, Doc. With Zak's powers gone, and all the cryptids having returned to their natural habitats, will the world need us? Will the Secret Scientists need us anymore? What will we be keeping secret now that the world knows about cryptids?" Drew grasps my hand. "I don't think Doyle will be able to go back to work for a while, either." She squeezes my hand, a sign of fear.

"I know, Drew, I know. But let's take it as it comes, and let God handle the rest. Goodnight, Love."

"Goodnight to you, Love." Drew snuggles against me as she falls asleep. I stay awake for a while before falling asleep myself.

(Komodo's POV)

I wake up earlier than usual the next morning, but I don't know why. No one else, besides Iris, who is completely silent, is awake, so it's impossible that anyone else woke me up. I leave Zak's bedroom, where I sleep, and wander aimlessly around the airship.

I find Iris cleaning up in the kitchen; she's made breakfast for everyone again. I can't help but look at the breakfast she's made and then look at her. She's so skinny, it's scary, yet she makes breakfast for four people, and sometimes more than that, without temptation.

"Iris, may I ask you a question?" Iris turns around, looks at me, bobs a quick curtsy, turns back around to turn off the water in the sink, and turns back to face me. "Did you eat back where you came from?" I ask, trying not to sound nosy. She nods cautiously. "What if someone told you that you're underweight?" Iris looks blankly at me. She doesn't understand. I try to break it down for her, saying, "What would you do or say if someone told you that you too skinny?" Iris shifts her weight from one foot to the other, as if she doesn't know how to answer my question. I can't say that I blame her, considering the question. "I'll see you later, Iris," I say, ending the one way conversation.

Then I walk into the living room. I have a clear view of the ruins. _How much time have we got of this quiet? How much time do we have to heal? How long will it take to recover? How long will Iris last, even if she stays with us?_ My thoughts ask questions I know no one can answer. I try to push those questions away, but they keep coming back. Finally, I conclude that it takes too much energy to push those those thoughts away, and I let them come, reminding myself that they are only thoughts.

Soon everyone is awake and has eaten breakfast. I try to steer away from Iris for the time being. _Why did I have to be so stupid and ask her those questions? It won't change anything, except now she's probably terrified of me._ Doc and Drew gather us in the living room, claiming they have an announcement to make.

"Today, Doc and I are going to the city and applying for a permit to rebuild the house," Drew explains excitedly. I'm happy to know we'll have a home again, but no one else seems to share the joy. "Killjoys," Drew mumbles kind of loudly.

"We heard that," Doyle says.

"You were supposed to," she replies. Ah, the sibling war continues. Good to know some things never change.

Doc and Drew leave shortly after the announcement. Doyle departs to his room, so Zak, Fisk, Zon, Iris and I are the only ones left. Fisk declares round seven of his favorite board game against us, but Zak would rather play the video games. My guess is he wants to keep his mind focussed in the moment of something other than being at the ruins of the house.

A few hours later, Doc and Drew come back to the airship, smiling. They seems super excited about something. I guess they have good news.

"Guys, guess what," Drew calls. Everyone comes running into the living room. "We're first to be reviewed; our permit could come any time between tomorrow and two weeks."

"Wow, Drew. That's great," I say. She beams joyfully.

Drew looks at the clock in the living room; it's two. "Have you guys eaten yet?" She asks. I shake my head. "I'll make grilled cheese." Drew looks around the room. "Where's Iris?"

"I'm not sure. Try the guest bedroom. If she's not there, the kitchen is a good place to look." Drew hurries off to find Iris. _I hope I didn't scare her earlier. She has to be terrified with all of this happening around her without any clue as to what's going on._ I pause my thoughts for a moment. _Why do I find myself so strangely drawn to her? What is it about her that makes me worry so much? What about her makes me want to get to know her, to see her get better, to see her change into who she has the potential to become?_ My attention turns to a sound behind me. I turn and look. "Oh, it's only you."

(Iris's POV)

Dr. Drew finds me in the kitchen preparing to make lunch for everyone. She smiles at me, but I look back down at what I'm doing after a quick curtsy. _Stupide. Tu appartenes à elle maintenant; ta révérence devrait être plus profonde, et tu dois lui montrer plus de respect. Tu doives être en l'appelant «Maîtresse» trop. (Stupid. You belong to her now; your curtsy should be deeper, and you ought to show her more respect. You ought to be calling her "Mistress" too.)_

"Ça tu dérange si j'aider? (Do you mind if I help?)" I shake my head, and she stands next to me. "Qu'est-ce que tu fais? (What are you making?)" I shrug slightly. "Que dirais-tu du fromage grillé? (How about grilled cheese?)" I look wide-eyed at Dr. Drew. _Qu'est-ce qu'un fromage grillé? (What is a grilled cheese?)_ Dr. Drew sees my confusion. "Regarde. (Watch.)"

Dr. Drew teaches me to make grilled cheese, and I finally understand how to do it after countless failed attempts. I make only two, but Dr. Drew makes seven. She calls everyone to lunch, and they all eat the grilled cheeses. All except one grilled cheese. After everyone has eaten and left the table, Dr. Drew, who is still sitting at the table, motions for me to sit down next to her. I hesitate, but comply anyways because it's an order.

"Pour toi. (For you.)" Dr. Drew smiles as she pushes the plate over to me. I don't touch it; I look blankly at Dr. Drew instead. "Iris, s'il tu plaît mange. (Iris, please eat.)" Dr. Drew looks me in the eyes, but I try not to avoid the eye contact with her. "Tu vas mourir si tu ne mange pas, Iris. (You're going to die if you don't eat, Iris.)" After much convincing, I finally pinch a tiny bite off the grilled cheese. I try to eat it, but the texture is so foreign and rough, it's near impossible for me to swallow. Dr. Drew sees this, and gets a glass of water. I bow my head to say thanks, swallow, and take a sip of water. "Bien, Iris, bien. (Good, Iris, good.)"

Little by little, I eat the grilled cheese until it's all gone. Dr. Drew smiles at me lovingly. "Tu récupéres un jour, Iris. (You will recover one day, Iris.)" With that Dr. Drew stands up, clears my plate and glass, and leaves the room.

I feel sick, so I race to the guest bathroom. I get there in time, and purge the food. I hate to waste it, but it's not right for me to eat their food. I look at the throw up in the toilet and feel the burn in my throat. _Qui ce que je préfère, purge ou de refuser? (Which do I prefer, purging or refusing?)_ Then I flush the toilet and brush my teeth. _Ils ne peuvent jamais savoir. (They can never know.)_

The rest of the day passes quietly. No one bothers anyone, and dinner is completely silent. However, after dinner, Dr. Drew sits down with me, and this afternoon repeats itself. After I brush my teeth, I can't help but look at myself in the mirror, something Master forbade for my own good. I take a moment and do nothing but gaze into the reflective glass of the mirror. I watch my eyes as I blink. My once overly vibrant blue eye is a perfect shallow and dull; my too lively green eye is a thing of the past, as years of Master's care deadened the color.

I run my fingers over my boney face, arms, and legs. I feel over seemingly permanent bruises, deep and shallow cuts and scrapes, and scars to match. I'm forever indebted to Master for giving these gifts to me.

Then I take a closer look at my face. My cheeks are beautifully sunken in, and my face as a whole is wonderfully lifeless. I adore it. Master sure knows how to treat a person. I don't understand how people despise Master or what he's done. I stop looking at myself, but I quickly begin looking at my reflection once again.

Is this really me? I used to be young, vibrant, pretty, and worthless. Then, at the age of seven, it all ended. I became Master's prized possession. The worse part is, they want to undo Master's work, but I want to look like this for the rest of my life.

I stay up in the living room long after all the Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell go to bed. Nothing happens for a long time, but then I recall I didn't see Mister Komodo. I try not to give it much thought because these people are the enemy. I cannot let them get to me.

I have uneasy feeling, but I tell myself that it's from earlier with Dr. Drew. I force myself to go the guest bedroom and sleep on the floor. My sleep is restless, and my mind somehow stays fully conscious throughout my sleep.

"_Iris, Iris," Master calls._

"_Maître! Maître, où êtes-vous? (Master! Master, where are you?)"_

"_Je suis ici, Iris. Mais je suis ici aussi, (I am here, Iris. But I am also here,)" Master replies from two separate places. "Je suis tout autour de toi. (I am all around you.)"_

"_Maître, Maître, s'il vous plaît venez me sauver! (Master, Master, please save me!)"_

"_Pourquoi devrais-je? Tu as me trahi! (Why should I? You betrayed me!)" Master demands. I shrink back._

"_Non, Maître, non. Je n'ai pas tu trahi. (No, Master, no. I did not betray you.)"_

_There's silence for a long while. I hope Master has not left. He surely needs his servants back. The gray fog around me denses up. I call for Master again and again, but I get no reply. Finally, Master answers. "Où est Munya? (Where is Munya?)"_

"_Maître, je ne sais pas. (Master, I do not know.)"_

"_Stupide fille. Bonne chance avec les Saturdays, (Stupid girl. Good luck with the Saturdays,)" Master replies scornfully. Master's voice leaves the gray fog. My heart races. I pinch-_

-myself. It was a dream. I sit up from the floor and take a look around the room. There's no gray fog, which relieves some of my worries, but at the same time, it only makes them worse. _Est-ce que Maître me donner à Saturdays? Suis-je vraiment le leur pour toujours maintenant? Que vont-ils faire pour moi? (Did Master give me to the Saturdays? Am I really theirs forever now? What will they do to me?)_

The airship is too quiet, even if it is the middle of the seven-hour night here. I sit still for a good fifteen minutes, just silently listening. I do not hear Dr. Solomon's snores, or Mister Fiskerton's purrs. Something is definitely wrong, but there's nothing I can do about it.

I stay up for a while longer. desperate to hear the sounds of life to which I've begun to adjust. There's nothing. Finally, I decide my best option is to try to sleep until it's time to get up. I'll check then.

I sleep for a few more hours; it's broad daylight when I wake up, but I assume that's normal for this place, considering the clocks in every room read five in the morning. The first thing I do is check on everyone. Well, at least I try to check on everyone, but the keypads require handprints, and mine is obviously not in the system yet. Then I go and get ready for the day, but no one else is about, even after I'm done. Something is definitely amiss.

I ponder what could have happened to the Saturdays. I was awake the longest, and I was up first, so that means whatever happened happened while I was asleep. _Grand. Premier jour, et je l'ai déjà perdu mes supérieurs. (Great. First day, and I've already lost my betters.)_

My mind flashes back to when I noticed Mister Komodo was gone. _Cryptids! Bien sûr! (Cryptids! Of course!)_ I try to communicate without words (a trick Master taught me should I ever be captured by the Saturdays and need to escape) with any nearby cryptids, but I fail. I try again, only this time I broaden my horizons using a technique Master taught me. I get several responses after a few minutes. Two are very helpful. The first one came from some Alaskan cryptids I forget the name of; they say they saw a team of five people, four of them men, and one woman. The cryptids say the five people were traveling in a UFO style aircraft heading south. I thank the cryptids without using any words.

The next response I get is from a group of cryptids in Peru. Those cryptids tell me that a UFO-looking ship landed in the mountains near their territory. They say five people got out, with four extra people and three cryptids. My mind goes into total shock. _Une attaque?! (An attack?!)_ Once again, without words, I thanks the cryptids. _Pérou? Sérieusement? (Peru? Seriously?)_ I consider using my element powers to try an stall the captors, but common sense wins that round.

Grateful to Master that he had instructions on how to hijack any airships that belong to his archfoes, the Secret Scientists, I start up the Saturdays' airship and set the autopilot (Master had instructions on how to do that too) to the coordinates of the lab I found in the mountains after searching the keywords the Peruvian cryptids used, into the computer. I get the coordinates of the the one lab that best fits the description. The airship takes off.

The airship arrives at the lab a while later. I land the airship obscured from view and climb out. I need to work on my landing skills. I see the lab, and I start trekking that way. It doesn't take me very long to get there, nor does it take very long to sneak inside. Once inside, I find my way, somehow, to where the Saturdays are being kept.

"No, Iris! It's not safe! It's a-" Mister Fisk cries.

"IRIS!" Dr. Drew exclaims as I feel a sharp stabbing sensation. I feel myself crumple as the world turns black.

* * *

><p>Zak: You really hate us, don't you, AB?<p>

AB: No. I just had to make it interesting.

Zak: Then why do you have this outline from over a year ago with the shorter version of this chapter and different OC name? Why are the words "I hate _The Secret Saturdays_!" scribbled along the edges?

AB: Give that back, Zak! That's important to me! And as for the sentence on the edge, go ask some of my family members!

Zak: I won't give it back until you tell me why.

AB: (leaps at Zak, grabs outline, and clutches it to chest) No. Now, please don't touch this again. It's important to me.

Zak: Why is that old thing important to you?

AB: I created the outline, the OC, all of it,during a difficult time in my life when writing was all I had to release my emotions. Understood? (Zak nods.) Good. Sorry about that, everyone. That was chapter 4. Sorry it was so long. Also, plan from now until the end of the story to see about three days pass per chapter. There is a reason for this, but you'll find out-

Zak: Why three days? Why not two or four?

AB: Because I spent an entire weekend doing the math for this fanfiction, and my calculation resulted in three days per chapter. As I was saying, you'll find out-

Zak: What happened to Iris, AB?

AB: (Slightly annoyed)You'll find out her fate, next chapter. Continuing from where I left off, you will find out-

Zak: Does Iris die?

AB: (Officially fuming) ZAK! You promised not to interrupt me! If you keep at it, you will not live to the end of the story, let alone this chapter!

Zak: Okay, sorry, AB. But you know this is the end of the chapter.

AB: ARGH! Sorry, everyone. You'll find out what my little secret is at the end of the story. In the meantime, I'm going to go kill Zak. Please review, favorite, follow, or all three! Love you all! (Zak bolts, and AB races to catch him).


	5. Chapter 5

AB: Hey, everybody! Sorry last chapter was late; I've been a little overwhelmed lately. I'm a little less stressed now, though. And I don't normally have all the Saturdays hating me or off chasing the ones who do, nor do I try to kill Zak. He just happened to be the one to kill my last nerve.

Zak: Hi, guys! AB didn't kill me!

AB: (Sotto voce) Not this time, at least.

Zak: What?

AB: Nothing. Disclaimer: _The Secret Saturdays_ belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network. Here's chapter 5: Sauve Ma Sœur

* * *

><p><em>(3rd Person POV)<em>

_Gulama came into the throne room of the Great Serpent and watched the Great Serpent. He seemed trapped in his thoughts, as if he couldn't escape a painful past, or a painful memory. Her master's plagued state bothered Gulama. In fact, that was why she stayed close by him all the time. But she knew better than to bother him. Gulama did not make her presence known until after the Great Serpent began pounding his fist into his own head._

"_Master, please stop. You will hurt yourself."_

"_Gulama? Get out."_

"_Master, you will hurt yourself if you continue to do that."_

"_I know, Gulama. That'sss the point," the Great Serpent sighed. He wished Gulama would just leave him alone._

"_If you are hurting, Master, we Nagas can help."_

"_What can you do? I am the mossst powerful creature of all time and placcce. What can you do that I cannot?"_

"_We can make others fall in love."_

"_Love?" The Great Serpent stood up from his throne. He slithered to Gulama, who stood stiffly. "Love?" the Great Serpent asked again. Gulama nodded. "You can make anyone fall in love?"_

"_Yes, Master. All it takes is permission."_

"_You have it. Go get Agrata of the Pogeyan. Tell her Alborz hasss fallen for her onccce again." Gulama bowed and slithered from the room. The Great Serpent returned to his throne and sat, dreaming of Agrata. He did not know when he had fallen for her, but he knew he had fallen for her._

_Meanwhile, Gulama prepared to send out Nagas to bring Agrata to her. She had no intention of making the Great Serpent and Agrata love each other. No, she had other plans to re-establish the Nagas and the other cryptids around the world. And her plans started with the creation of a new cryptid from the remains of an old ally._

* * *

><p>(Dr. Miranda Grey's POV)<p>

The sun shines brightly outside, but I don't notice. My mind and heart blame the sunshine, and all things good, for what happened. I don't understand how the sun has the gut to rise again each morning when it knows what happened on that day. I pulls my knees in closer to my chest, trying to take up as little space as possible in this window seat, and in the general universe.

"How much time have we got on this earth? How many weeks are we promised? Fourteen years ago today, Derek gave his heart away to a girl. How many years could they have had together? How many children could they have seen grow up?" I ask myself out loud.

"I don't know, Miranda. How many years could they have had together? How many children could they have seen grow up?" Someone answers.

"Arthur," I gasp. "What do you want me to do this time?" I ask.

"We found an intruder yesterday. Go talk to her," Arthur demands.

"Yes, Arthur." I stand up and walk out of the room. "Yes, Master," I mumble sarcastically once he's out of earshot. _Come on, Miranda. You have literally no freedom here. Take it back._

It doesn't take long to find out where Arthur is holding the intruder. She or he is in the room with the sign reading "The intruder is in here, Miranda" on it. _How dumb does Arthur think I am? _I open the door just wide enough to see the intruder inside. I slam the door shut quickly. _Oh my gosh! That's impossible!_ I race to find Arthur, or anyone else. I stumble upon Paul.

"Paul, thank goodness I found you!"

"What is it, Miranda?" Paul asks.

"Can you talk with the intruder Arthur found yesterday? I don't feel well today," I lie.

"Miranda, this may actually be good for you. You need to move on from what happened."

"Excuse me, Paul, but I have every right to feel unwell. Illnesses happen to everyone, do they not?" I snap.

"Yes, they do." Paul looks down at the ground. "I'm not sure I'm allowed to do your job. Go ask Arthur and let me know what he says."

"Will do. Thanks, Paul." I hurry off, desperate to get as far away from the room as possible. _Miranda, why do you do this to yourself? You're a feminist, but you grovel to men. Show some pride._ My feet find their way to Arthur's office. I rat on the door.

"Hello, Miranda. I trust you've finished talking with the intruder. What does she want?"

"That's just why I'm here, Arthur. I feel sick, and I fear I may be catching a stomach virus. It would be a shame to give anything of the sort to anyone. Paul has offered to talk with the intruder in my place."

"Now, Miranda, if I let every person who came in here feeling sick have the day off, the Secret Scientists wouldn't function. You know that."

"Yes, but-"

"Meet with the intruder."

"But-"

"GO!"

I strut from the room and slam the door. I feel the tears rolling down my face. _If only Derek were still alive. He'd teach Arthur a lesson._ I wipe the tears from my eyes. _But Derek's dead, as he has been for thirteen years. He's not here anymore, and this is my life, my reality. I have to face it; I have to live it._ I push open the door to the room the intruder is in. I make eye contact, stumble backwards, and slam the door. I race back to my room, lock myself in the bathroom, and cry. I really do feel sick this time, but I know exactly why. _What kind of torture is this?_

(Iris's POV)

_Comment? Je la connais. Elle me connaît. Comment est-ce possible? (How? I know her. She knows me. How is this possible?)_ The straps binding me to the table feel as if they are getting tighter. Part of me wants to laugh because this is how Master trained me when I first started working for him; at the same time, I know laughter is forbidden, for it shows pleasure, something Master does not want his servants having.

I remind myself of the dream I had, the one where Master basically wished me well serving the Saturdays. Somehow it makes me wonder what ever happened to Munya. I haven't seen him since the day Father died.

The door opens, and I crane my neck as best as I can to see who opened it. It's a man with pale skin and black hair, who looks like one of the people on Master's kill list. He sits down in a chair next to the table I'm strapped to. "Why are you here?" He asks. I look blankly at him. I understand him perfectly, but I can't answer him. "Why are you here?" he asks more forcefully this time. There's nothing I can do to answer him. "Fine, don't talk to me, but I'll warn you: once the leader extracts your reason, you're in for it."

The man sits in total silence, watching me and the door. At one point, I try to move to make myself more comfortable, but he snaps at me and tells me not to move. I hold still. We look at each other with differing emotions. He feels anger and hatred, and his eyes aren't afraid to show it; I look at him with concern for the Saturdays. Neither of us says a word.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity of stare downs, the man gets up and slams the door shut on his way out. I hear yelling in the hallway.

"I can't get her to say a word!"

"What do you mean you can't?!"

"She doesn't speak!"

"Have her write it down then, for all I care!"

"Do you really want her wrists upbound?"

"I'll handle her myself! Go find Miranda and then get back to your job!" One set of footsteps storms away, and the door opens again. "Hello there. I'm Dr. Beeman. What's your name?" The new man asks. He too looks like someone off of Master's list. I look at him, trying to convey that I can't reply. "Can't you speak?" I nod, but then shake my head. "So you understand me?" I nod. "Have you no voice?" I shake my head. "Then why don't you speak?" He raises his voice.

I ball my hand into a fist, entirely frustrated. _Est-ce vraiment si difficile? Je parle le français. (Is this really that difficult? I speak French.)_ The man, Dr. Beeman asks if I speak another language. I nod eagerly. He guesses Spanish, but I shake my head. He then continues to guess every language on Earth, except French. He finally gets frustrated too and slams his hands down on smaller table to the left of the one I'm strapped to. The door eventually opens, and it's the man from before.

"I found her."

"Where?"

"Where do you think?"

Dr. Beeman turns to me. "I'll return." With that, he marches from the room. "What the heck, Miranda? Where were you?!"

"I told you I am unwell." I know that voice. She's one of the people who took me from Master's manor! _Non! Il n'est pas vrai! (No! It's not true!)_

"That's not an excuse, Miranda!"

"Really? A stomach virus is not an excuse? Why do you have to be demented, Arthur?"

"Miranda, please stop being so recusant," the first man says.

"Look who's talking!" the woman shouts. "And you think you're running this organization so well, don't you, Arthur?"

"I would be if not for you!"

"Darn it, Miranda!" the first man yells.

"Put a can in it! I'm sick of all you!"

"Then why don't you leave?" the first man yells. There's a long silence.

The second man, Dr. Beeman, finally speaks. "Paul, you can go now. Miranda, my office."

"What? Am I nothing but a school child now?"

"You might as well be. I can't believe I have to teach you how to act in a workplace. You would think that after the first time-"

"Don't even think about it, Arthur!" There's a long silence. "Good day, Arthur." The woman's lighter footsteps get quieter and quieter. Dr. Beeman throws the door open, and lets it shut with a bang. He yells at the wall.

"Why don't you talk?!" He yells, suddenly facing me. Dr. Beeman grabs my chin. He holds for less than a second. He gasps and stumbles backwards; his face conveys pure terror. Then he flees the room, slamming and locking the door behind him. I try not to guess what happened.

(Dr. Grey's POV)

I sit quietly on the window seat in the room I have at Arthur's lab. My arms are crossed over my chest, my legs are crossed, and I have scowl on my face; Arthur locked the flipping door. I take a deep breath as I try to calm myself down. Arthur's not worth the energy, no matter how hard he tries to make me believe otherwise. Chill bumps run up my arms as a feeling of a presence enters my body.

"Derek?" I ask. There's no reply, but it's not like I was expecting one. The feeling grows stronger. "Derek, if that is you, please let me know." Ever since the night he died, I haven't been able to get Derek off my mind; I can't help feeling as if he never died, as if he's still alive, but I know that is not the truth. I remember Drew went with me to every counseling session, but even she knew I wasn't getting any better. And then our suitemate, dear innocent Jordan, passed tragically.

The presence presses to be named. My mind automatically goes to the person who died most recently. "Leonidas?" I ask. The presence relaxes. "Leonidas, what is it?" The presence seems to become downcast; it must know it can't answer me. "I'm sorry, I really am." The chill bumps change location a little, They form on my skin as if someone were hugging me. I sigh. _Why do I always get the attention? For once in my life, can somebody ignore me?_ The presence goes away after a few minutes, and I relax. I am so sick of spirits, haunting reminders of my painful past. I'm so done with this life; I just want to move on, but I can never seem to escape the past. I hate myself for thirteen years ago, and I hate myself for two weeks ago.

I spend the rest of the morning locked in the room, not that I care or anything. I don't want to see Arthur again, nor do I want to see Paul. I wish everyone would forget about me and leave me here to die. But then I think of the Saturdays and the girl. _What would happen to them if I died?_ I think of my family. _What would they say if I died? Between losing Derek and me to death and Abby to evil, they'd go insane._ I'm able to convince myself that death is not the best way out my current situation, much to my relief. My mind wanders back to the girl. _Iris. Her name is Iris. Remember, Miranda, you told the Saturdays her name._ I smile sweetly to myself. _Yes, I remember. Iris, such a lovely name._ My thoughts keep my company for a long time, and I'm grateful for that. If I were to lose my thoughts, I would surely lose my sanity. My thoughts are what have pulled me through the times I stopped talking; they are what helped me recover from Derek's death. Memories and thoughts are humans' keys to sanity.

I begin to feel sick again, but it's no surprise after what I've been through. I only hope Arthur doesn't find out how sick I really am, or he'd make sure I never recovered. He'd make sure I stayed permanently sick.

Paul brings lunch into the room around noon, but I don't eat. Arthur's probably poisoned it. Paul leaves after he sets the tray down.

"You're the one suffering the consequences, Miranda," he says stiffly before leaving and locking the door. I spend the rest of the day in solitary confinement, which is fine by me. I go to sleep for a few hours, always with a pocket knife under my pillow. I trust no one, not even myself.

I wake up the next morning at about four with a painful stomach cramp. _Dear gosh, no! I made that up so I wouldn't have to talk with Iris. I cannot actually be sick!_ It eventually subsides, and I'm able to go back to sleep. I dream of Derek and his fiancée, but that's all I remember from the dream.

When I next wake up, Arthur is sitting in the window seat. I panic for a moment, and my fingers grip the pocket knife under my pillow.

"How do you feel today, Miranda?" Arthur asks scornfully.

"Still very much unwell. I would hate for you or anyone else for that matter to contract whatever it is that I have."

"Too bad. You're still on for meeting with the intruder, plus yesterday's work, and today's. Get cracking."

"Arthur, I am sick. I have a fever, and I feel nauseous. Surely you do not want the others getting this," I try to reason with him, but there's no way to get into his thick skull.

I end up still doing all the work for yesterday and today, but by the time I finish those jobs, it's nearly midnight. I decide to call it a day and head to my bedroom. Arthur passes me in the hallway and asks what I got from Iris. I tell him she told me nothing, but that I'll try again tomorrow. He smiles evilly.

"You know what happens to her after lunch tomorrow if she hasn't talked by then, don't you?" His coarse voice sends chills down my spine.

"I do know, but I'll have her talking before then," I promise. I don't care what Iris says, I just want her to be safe from Arthur. I walk the rest of the way to my bedroom in silence. I'm too tired to say a word of encouragement to myself, but at this point in time, those words mean nothing to me. I know I need to get out of here, I just don't know how.

My fingers clutch the pocket knife handle just before my head hits the pillow. _If only I had had this all those years ago. My fortune might be better, and my family might not be broken._ As a drift off to sleep, I enter oblivion. No dream haunts my sleep, but I still feel ill rested in the morning. I get out of bed, eat breakfast, and start the day's work. I knock out about half of it by nine in the morning. Then I go to the room where Iris is. I open the door and pray she speaks.

At twelve thirty in the afternoon, Arthur approaches me. I take a deep, calming breath and say a few prayers.

"Has she spoken yet?"

"No, Arthur, she hasn't."

"It's time."

"I know, Arthur, I know."

"I want you to do it?"

"Me? Arthur, have you lost your mind?"

"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time," he replies.

"Arthur, please don't. She's only child."

"What difference does it make?"

"I can't."

"You can and you will. Now go, before I make you torture her first." Arthur smacks me on the bottom as he walks by. I turn on my heel to face him, hands balled and ready to strike.

"Do it again, Arthur, and it'll be the last thing you ever do. Hear me?" I threaten.

"Just go."

I make my way to the room, praying that Arthur wasn't serious. When I open the door, it's the first thing I see. Then I look at Iris, her eyes wide with terror. _I can't do this._

(Iris's POV)

The redhaired woman stops just next to the table. She looks at me, her eyes showcasing nothing but pain. She holds my gaze, before turning away. She sits down in the chair and puts her head in her hands. Neither of us says a word. Every now and then she looks at me, sorrowfully and scared. I haven't seen a look like that in years.

"Iris," she starts. Her voices breaks halfway through my name. "Iris, please forgive me. I don't want this to happen, not again." The tears slip down her cheeks. I can only imagine the pain she feels, but I've no clue why she hurts. She picks up the shot the pale man from two days ago left in here. She fingers the syringe slowly and carefully. She seems almost terrified of touching it. "My gosh, Iris, you're only a child." She starts bawling, so she puts the shot down. "I can't. I can't do this," she whispers.

I don't say a word, but instead just watch her. Everything about her looks familiar, as if we've met before, but that's impossible. Her cries begin to quiet down, and her breaths even out. She wipes her eyes and looks at me. Then I recognize her. _C'est Dr Miranda Grey! Elle a était sur la liste de Maître des ennemis. Je ne sais pas pourquoi Maître a enlevé son nom et sa photo. (It's Dr. Miranda Grey! She was on Master's list of enemies. I don't know why Master removed her name and picture.)_ Still, I feel as if I'm missing an important detail about her.

Her hands tremble as she picks up the syringe again. She eyes its contents, sees the sink on the adjacent wall, and walks over to it. She opens the syringe and pours the liquid out, saying, "It's potassium, my gosh. We have got to take this away from him." The she walks back over to me. "Iris," Dr. Grey hugs me quickly. Her long sleeves and gloves, along with my mid-arm sleeves and gloves, prevent any kind of skin-to-skin contact. "Iris, promise me you'll get out of here as fast you possibly can. Don't come back, even if you think otherwise." She pulls back from the hug. "My dear Iris, don't ever let the past reclaim you."

Dr. Grey undoes the restraints, and picks me up. She tells me to act dead for a few minutes and to hold my breath everytime she says hello to someone. She opens the door and starts walking. I keep my eyes closed. Dr. Grey doesn't say anything until she whispers that we're almost to the door. The she stops; I don't move.

"Hello, Arthur," she says. I hold my breath.

"Good to know you finally did something right, Miranda. Where are you taking the body?"

"Out back to your 'pet fish' of course."

"Good thinking. Now hurry up before anyone sees you." Dr. Grey starts walking at a much faster pace, until I hear a heavy door open and close. Dr. Grey stops, looks around, and walks a few yards more. She sets me down and tells me I can open my eyes now. I look around at the trees surrounding the lab.

"Go, Iris, and don't ever come back." I turn around and face the intimidating trees. I turn back to Dr. Grey. I motion for a piece of paper and something to write with. Dr. Grey pulls one out of her pocket. I scribble a note and hand it back to her.

"Sauvez les Saturdays, (Save the Saturdays,)" the note reads.

Dr. Grey scribbles one herself and hands it to me. "Sauve ma sœur, (Save my sister,)" it says. I look at Dr. Grey. _Vous parlez le français? (You speak French?)_. Dr. Grey reads my note and nods. "I will, Iris Nicole. Now hurry before they get suspicious."

I disappear into the trees as Dr. Grey returns to the lab door. I hear Dr. Beeman, who still is on Master's list, ask Dr. Grey if his fish liked how I tasted. Dr. Grey laughs and says it ate me right up.

_Serait-ce vraiment ont été mon sort si le Dr Grey ne me avait pas sauvé? (Would that really have been my fate if Dr. Grey had not saved me?)_ I wonder. _Attendez, comment Dr Grey sais que mon prénom? Pas même Maître ou Munya savait. (Wait, how did Dr. Grey know my middle name? Not even Master or Munya knew that.)_ I look at Dr. Grey's note. «_Sauve_ _ma_ _sœur,» elle dit. ("Save my sister," it said.)_ I've got two jobs now.

* * *

><p>AB: And that's a wrap!<p>

Zak: What does that mean?

AB: Oh my stars! It's Dr. Grey! (Stands up and rushes to greet Dr. Grey.) I am so happy to see you, Dr. Grey! How have you been?

Dr. Grey: I've been better, especially since I'm so sick in your story. I have to ask: What was Arthur referring to when he said "the first time"? The first time for what?

AB: Dr. Grey, you ought to know this. When I invite you here, I'm not inviting you to a showing of the chapter. I'm inviting you to join me in my world after you finish living out the chapter. Anything that happens in the story happens to you here too. All your memories and history is as true here as it is there.

Dr. Grey: AB! Why?

AB: In whose reality are we existing, and is it worth breaking? I'll leave you there to answer that question. Thanks so much, everyone! To the guest who suggested a chapter idea, I'm working on such chapter, but it's harder than I thought. It might have to be in the follow up story, if that's all right. One last question before I go, why are fewer people reading the last few chapters? I noticed that 70 people will read the first chapter (which I know is super long, but it won't happen again), but only five people (5) read the next ones. Let me know why you think this is happening or how I can try and boost the number of people who read the next chapters! Love you all! Don't forget to favorite, follow, or review!


	6. Chapter 6

AB: (Sits in favorite chair and folds knees into chest. Buries head)

Dr. Grey: AB? AB, is everything okay?

AB: No. My neighbor and family friend passed away last week suddenly, but I hadn't seen him since last month because I was away.

Dr. Grey: AB, that's not your fault. What could you have done to prevent it?

AB: (Sniffles.) Nothing.

Dr. Grey: Exactly. I know how hard this is for you. I'll start the chapter if you want.

AB: You would do that?

Dr. Grey: Of course, AB. (AB hands Dr. Grey her notes before AB starts crying.) Disclaimer: _The Secret Saturdays_ belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network. Here's Chapter 6: Echo

* * *

><p><em>(3rd Person POV)<em>

_As the Great Serpent waited for the Nagas he had dispatched, he thought of his conquest over them. He smiled to himself at the thought of the government the Nagas once had._

_When the Great Serpent had first found his way to Thailand, to the Nagas, he was exhausted from his mission. Thankfully, though, these were the last of the world's cryptids. He knew he could soon return home; before a little voice reminded him that he had been banished to the underworld to reign._

_The Great Serpent slithered his way to a river to take a sip. Suddenly a giant fireball shot up from the center of the river. This scared the Great Serpent, and he fell into the river. In his panic, the Great Serpent took a large gasp of air, only it wasn't air, it was water. His lungs began to fill with water the more he tried to swim. As he realized his life was ending, something came from the darkness and grabbed him._

_When the Great Serpent came around, the first thing he noticed was that he was in a stone room with a pale blue colored snake, but this snake had arms. The snake hissed loudly towards an open door, and five more armed snakes rushed in. The Great Serpent asked if they were Nagas, and one of them, a sand colored female, nodded. The Great Serpent asked to speak with the leader. The pale blue Naga shook his head._

_The Nagas and the Great Serpent continued like this for a while. They told the Great Serpent that they used to have a republic, but a recent revolution left them with total anarchy; the revolutionaries failed to come up with a new type of government after they killed the old leaders, so they fled._

_The Great Serpent took advantage of the Nagas' anarchy, and set straight to work convincing them to join him. At first, the Nagas rejected the Great Serpent, and made sure he knew it. They kept him locked in a cell hidden deep beneath the Nagas' land. They only let him out once a week. This continued for several weeks. Finally, one Naga, the sand colored one from earlier, dared to speak to the Great Serpent. She gave him her name: Gulama._

_The Great Serpent and Gulama communicated a lot, as she visited him often. He was soon able to convince Gulama that uniting the Nagas and other cryptids under a single power was a good idea. Gulama thought long and hard about it, and she concluded that it really must be a good idea. Gulama talked with her friends and family, who talked their friends and family, so on, until the entire Naga population was split in two: those who opposed a single power and those who supported one. There was a great civil war between the two sides. Many lives were lost, including Gulama's family. _

_The Great Serpent was released and commanded to use his cryptid powers to end the war. Knowing he had not yet won control over the Nagas, the Great Serpent improvised, and he called upon nearby cryptids to come to his aid. They came, and the Nagas realized the Great Serpent's power. Hundreds of Nagas, those fearful of the Great Serpent, fled the land, but majority stayed. They had no idea what would happen after the Great Serpent completed his mission and gained power over the Nagas._

* * *

><p>(Iris's POV)<p>

My heart races as I wake up in the dead of the night once again. That's the third time this hour I've done that, and it's only midnight. I just can't seem to get Master, the Saturdays, or Dr. Grey off my mind. Something's happening around me that I don't understand, and I'm somehow caught in the middle of it all. "_Sauve ma sœur. (Save my sister.)"_ I blink back the frustrated tears. _Qui est ta sœur? (Who is your sister?)_ I think for a moment. _Non! Ce n'est pas Mlle Abbey Grey! (No! It's not Ms. Abbey Grey!)_ My heart races even faster than it did when I woke up. I can just tell that saving Dr. Grey's sister will be no easy task. For starters, I don't know from what I'm saving her or where she is.

I manage to calm myself down enough to go back to sleep, but it's not for very long. I wake up several more times throughout the night, each time more afraid to go back to sleep than before. I don't know how Master sleeps at night knowing the danger of this world.

I wake up for a final time and brush off the leaves from the bushes and trees concealing me from the lab's sight. The sun has not yet risen, meaning my escape will be both easy and hard. I have to find my way up and over the mountain the lab is nestled in. That'll be easy to do without being seen, but incredibly difficult without being able to see. I decide to crawl until I know I'll have to climb. I start crawling until I reach an steep upward slope with no path.

My first obstacle is scaling the mountain side. I should mention that I have no climbing skills, nor do I have the muscle to do so. I fumble my way upwards, and I seem to be doing pretty well all things considered. Suddenly, the ground I'm standing starts to crumble before giving way completely. I flail for an overhead ledge, but I can't find one. The bottom of the mountain gets closer as I start sliding. I don't know how long or how far I slide, but I eventually see a bush. I reach for it and grab it; I stop sliding. The only problem now is that I'm dangling, and that sun is starting to rise. _Zut! (Drat!)_ I swing my left leg in hopes of reaching it. I get my leg up there, but I realize I'm unable to pull myself all the way over, so I bring my leg back.

I reach my right arm up, feel a handhold, and pull myself. It's a struggle, but I'm eventually able to pull myself up and find where I was before I slid. Tired and heaving, I finish the climb to the top of the mountain. The sun illuminates the morning as I start the climb down the other side of the mountain. I fear I may never find Ms. Grey at this rate.

When I finally reach the bottom of the mountain, I am hot and sweaty. But that's not my main concern. I am in Nazca, Peru, in a village where the people speak Spanish, but I speak only French. _Comment suis-je censé parler aux personnes? (How am I supposed to talk to the people?)_ I stop myself from worrying anymore than I already have. My goal at this point is to find Ms. Grey, save her, and return to the Saturdays. Nothing else matters. Nothing.

I get off the path to the mountain and start walking. Quite a few people stare at me as I wander, and a few bother to ask me some questions in Spanish. All I can do is shake my head and hope they understand that I can't speak their tongue. This is going to be harder than I thought.

A flash of jet black and pale blue catches my attention. I turn to face where it disappeared, but there's nothing there. I see it again, and again. Each time, I chase after it, only to find there's nothing. Finally, I see it and jump at it. I tackle somebody, but it's not Ms. Abbey. In fact, it's a village woman; now that I take a closer look, I see that almost all the women have long black hair and are in pale blue dresses. The woman I tackled starts screaming at me in Spanish. I can't make heads or tails of it, but I stand up, brush myself off, curtsy an apology, and offer my hand to help her up. She slaps me across the face. Then she spits something in Spanish I have a feeling is a curse before storming off. The people who stopped to stare begin leaving too.

"What do you need done?" A female, British voice asks with a slight metallic echo, as if something is just in front of the speaker's mouth; it seems to be coming from nearby. I don't hear the other person's response. "That'll be $158, plus a $30 tax." I know that voice. "You'll know. Besides, I always get the job done," the woman assures the other person. I follow the sound of the person's voice until it takes me to a corner. I stay pressed against the side and listen. When I hear a set of footsteps leaving, I reveal myself. I look at the woman with jet black hair, a pale blue jumpsuit, and a metal mask like my father's. She turns around with her wrist blaster pointed at me. She drops her wrist. "Iris."

(Abbey Grey's POV)

I look at Iris and hold my breath. I've never seen her in the sun, and her ridiculously pale skin gives her the appearance of a ghost. I can't help but say her name again. And this is the girl I'm hired to find. We look at each other for a few moments; neither of us says a word. I can only imagine what she's thinking. I can't seem to calm my heart down, not even for a moment. I remind myself that I was hired to find Iris and take her back, but now that I've seen her, I'm not sure I can. She's so sick, it's as plain as day with her sickly pale skin and bony figure.

"Iris, my gosh. What happened? You were so different when I saw you last." I can barely string a sentence together, I'm in such shock. _This is not how a mercenary behaves, Abbeygale. Get a hold of yourself and finish the job_. I walk next to Iris and bend down to whisper in her ear. "I'm sorry," I half hiss. Then I grab her arms and hold them behind her back. She tries to fight, but she's too tired and weak. Iris pulls with much less strength for a while longer, but she stops once her strength gives out. As I dig for some handcuffs out of my sack, I notice Iris is holding a piece of paper in her hand. _How did I miss that?_ I grab the handcuffs, secure them on Iris's wrists, and snatch the paper out of her hand. I read it, or at least attempt to read it. It's written in French, of course. "Sauve ma sœur." The loopy cursive and incredibly fragile penmanship looks strangely familiar, almost like something I saw in my childhood. Then it hits me: Miranda! _Darn it, Miranda. Why can't you stop asking people to do things behind my back? First Derek, now this, and who knows what else in between. _Iris seems to realize that I'm no longer holding on to her and that she can still run away, but I stop her before she can take advantage of the opportunity. "What does it say?" I demand. Iris shakes her head. "I know you can speak, Iris. Answer me. What does it say?" My fury is growing rapidly. This is the kind of temper Mother always loved.

I give up trying to get any information from Iris. She's not going to speak ever again as far as I'm concerned. She could die right here and now, and I sure as heck wouldn't care. _Now, Abbey, I know you're not really this heartless. Show some empathy._ My father's wretched voice fills my thoughts. I immediately shove him out. There is no way my Father is going to ruin my career, especially now that I'm doing better than ever with Grey and Apprentice (Grey and App.), the business I stole and renamed. Isn't it enough that I have to live with the fact that he raised me to have a conscious?

I grab Iris's arm and tell her to come with me. I feel every muscle in her body tense up, so I give her a little poke with my wrist blaster. Then I turn around behind me and see a couple people onlooking. I point my wrist blaster at them and fire. I toss a few concussion grenades over my shoulder just to be sure nobody saw anything. I continue with Iris until we reach my ship. We board, and-

"HALT!"

I turn to Iris. "Not one sound." Then I march back to the door, open it, and get out. "What do you dogs want? I'm late for a very important meeting," I demand to the two men and one woman in uniforms; they do not look pleasant.

"We have reports that you kidnapped a girl and shot four people."

"What makes you think I did it? Besides, what can you do? I'm not from here."

"We'd like to search your ship."

"Why? The only thing to see is right here." I point my blaster at all of them, and shoot them dead before they even know it. Then I return to the cockpit, and try again. There are no interruptions this time. Iris just watches the world out the window. She doesn't ask where I'm taking her, who hired me, or why. She just sits and stares out the window. I could get used to dealing with people like her, but then my job would lose all the fun and excitement.

We travel for a long time, or at least that's what it feels like. Neither of us says a word. I just can't seem to get that dad-gum note out of my head. _If only I had taken French along with all my other languages. _Miranda's handwriting will not leave me alone. _What about the note being in Miranda's handwriting in another language is bother me? Is it a warning? Could my sister, my own flesh and blood, the one who couldn't kill anything, not even a bug, be planning my demise? Could Miranda have given Derek a warning like this before he died? Could Miranda have killed Derek?_ I focus my attention instead on the air I'm flying my ship through, rather than on Iris and my sister's note..

My phone rings, filling in the silence. I answer it and roll my eyes as the client talks. I am so not in the mood for this. He demands to know where I am and how soon I can get to Paris. I tell him that I am working at the moment for another client and that he will have to wait for my apprentice. He begins yelling in French; I wish him a good day and hang up. _Men! Boy am I glad I dumped Doyle, but I regret I didn't kill him when I had the chances._ As soon as I put my phone away, it rings again. I snatch it up and answer the call. "Now what, Epsilon?! I'm on the way, just wait a minute for me!" I yell, recognizing the number as his; this is the eighth time he's called in the past hour.

"I'm calling to tell you our reservations were cancelled." He seems so calm and collected despite my yelling at him.

I swear into the phone. "It's a good thing I love you," I say coldly as I hang up. I am so done dating after today. It's bad enough he has the same name as those people Miranda's job sometimes hires. I throw the phone into my sack and ignore the calls. I have a job to finish, and a bunch of angry clients. "Remind me to kill myself at the end of the day, Iris," I say half jokingly, half seriously. Iris looks shocked, but I don't bother to explain anything to her.

The ship suddenly starts shaking, but I'm holding the controls steady. It can't be turbulence because there's no wind, and the weather is fine. I try to land the ship, but my controls have stopped working. _No, no, no. This isn't happening. I cannot die._ I keep trying to gain control again, but nothing's working. I know the ground is getting closer by the second, but there's nothing I can do to stop the ship. Iris looks at me, terrified. I try to look back at her, but I can't. I close my eyes. _It'll be over in just a second. There will be impact-_ Everything stops and fades into darkness.

(Iris's POV)

I open my eyes and breath rapidly. Dr. Grey's note haunts my mind. "_Sauve ma sœur." Etait-ce ce que j'étais censé la sauver de? Ai-je déjà échoué? (Was this what I was supposed to save her from? Have I already failed?)_ I can't unfasten my seatbelt or free myself, so there's nothing I can do. I see Ms. Grey's body, her breathing labored. She's alive. _Je dois aller à elle. Il n'y a pas beaucoup de temps. (I have to get to her. There isn't much time.)_ I spend a while trying to wriggle out of the seatbelt and eventually succeed. _S'il vous plaît laissez ce travail. (Please let this work.) _I try to call a cryptid, and I get a response. A group of three Peruvian Mystery Jaguars arrive. They see the crash and immediately rush to my side. I turn around and telepathically ask one of them to break the handcuffs. One of them does, and I race over to Ms. Grey. Her breathing is still labored, so I undo her seatbelt and lie her down. I put my hands over her chest and imagine taking her labored breaths and replacing them with healthy, strong ones; there's no push, and Ms. Grey is still having trouble breathing. I look down at my gloves, soiled and covered in dust and who-knows-what-else. _Les choses darn. (The darn things.)_ I tear them off and stuff them in my pocket. I don't understand how my powers worked on the ladybug with the gloves, but they don't work on Ms. Grey while I'm wearing the gloves. I'm scared of what may happen, but I try again anyways. This time there is a push, and Ms. Grey's breathing steadies. It's another few moments until she wakes up.

She gasps as she looks around at the crash. I look behind me; the jaguars are long gone. "How long have I been out?" She asks. I shrug. Ms. Grey twists her wrist to look at her watch; her eyes widen. "Two days." I have to use every muscle in my body to keep from reacting. _Deux jours?! (Two days?!)_ I begin to fear for the Saturdays and Dr. Grey. _Ils pourraient être mort à l'heure, et personne, pas même Dr Grey peuvent garder un secret aussi évident que le nôtre pour cette longtemps. (They could be dead by now, and nobody, not even Dr. Grey can keep a secret as obvious as ours for this long a time.)_ "Come on, Iris. Even if I am two days late, I can still finish my job." Ms. Grey starts walking and shouts over her shoulder, "Well hurry up. You know the way better than I," when she realizes I'm not right behind her. I look blankly at her. "Just get us back to Nazca." My sense of direction is horrible, but with the help of a few cryptids, I'm able to get us back in one piece.

When we get there, Ms. Grey plugs in the coordinates her client sent her into her phone, and we start going that way. I come to a standstill, for I recognize the route she's taking. Ms. Grey asks, annoyedly, why I stopped, but I shake my head. She sighs, and then she basically drags me up the mountain and back down to Dr. Beeman's lab. Ms. Grey, realizing that she does not have an extra set of handcuffs on her, finds some rope in her sack and ties my hands behind my back. Then she walks up to the lab's entrance and knocks. The dull sound echos through the lab. We wait for a few agonizing moments. Finally the door swings open; it's Dr. Beeman. One look in his eyes tells me where Dr. Grey is. _Elle est morte pour lui. (She is dead to him.)_

* * *

><p>AB: Dr. Grey? This is probably the result of you going missing in the chapter isn't it? (There's no reply.) Okay, well, since it seems that I am alone for the end of this chapter, I will take advantage of this opportunity. For those of you wondering, I do use an online translator for the French; my knowledge of French is not as advanced as I need it to be for this story. Also, when Abbey refers to a person named Epsilon, she is referring to her boyfriend, who is NOT the Epsilon from the show. They just happen to have the same name. Does that make any sense? Sorry if this chapter was a little darker and shorter than what I normally write, but I hope you all enjoyed it. Don't forget to follow, favorite, or review! Love you all!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

AB: Okay, so last chapter, I know was really short, and it felt really rushed. I also feel as if it wasn't as good as it could have been due to something that happened in my personal life. I'm sorry about that, but know that my chapters will get better. Also, it appears that Iris has decided to come for this chapter, but she hasn't said a word to me. I'm confident, though, that Iris will talk soon. Note: I may not post chapters on time or all for the next few weeks; I have huge things happening in my life as well as handling my family friend's death. I just need to take care of myself is all. Disclaimer: _The Secret Saturdays_ belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network. Here's Chapter 7: Words Spoken

* * *

><p><em>(3rd Person POV)<em>

_Agrata came before the Great Serpent, her heart cold as ice. She no longer cared for him, and she had long since forgotten him. Seeing him again only brought back a past she longed to abandon, not just forget._

"_Agrata, my love," the Great Serpent stood to greet her. "It'sss been many yearsss."_

"_Indeed, Alborz, it has." Agrata sighed and looked downwards. "Why did you bring me here? I don't belong here, and you know that."_

"_My dear, I have now realized the truth about usss. We were meant to be together. I am sssorry about what happened. I wasss dumb and didn't know what wasss in front of me."_

"_Alborz, I'm sorry, but we can't be together."_

"_Why not?"  
><em>"_We just can't." Agrata glanced at her paw. "I have a mate and a family now. I'm sorry, Alborz, but you missed your chance. Besides, cryptids are supposed to stay within their species."_

"_Agrata, pleassse."_

"_Goodbye, Alborz. Maybe one day you'll find a special lady." Agrata turned and tried to leave. But Gulama slithered in front of her._

_"Gulama, let her go." Gulama slithered to the side, and as she bowed, she signed to another Naga hidden behind the doorframe. Agrata walked out of the room and down the hallway. A few seconds later, there were grunts, but no one heard them._

_"Master-"_

_"Gulama, you sssaid. You lied." He put his head in his claw and rubbed his forehead. "Leave, and never come back. Take all of the Nagasss." Gulama turned to slither out of the throne room; the Great Serpent watched her with pure hatred. Meanwhile, Gulama slithered into her chambers, muttering some ancient spell._

"_Leụ̄xd xxk h̄ạwcı tāy cıp̄hm mị̀ s̄āmārt̄h khwbkhum s̄t̄hān thī̀ th̀xngtheī̀yw k̄hxng c̄hạn c̄hạn rạk xīk khn h̄nụ̀ng thī̀ mị̀ s̄āmārt̄h rū̂s̄ụk khn thī̀ mị̀ s̄āmārt̄h thảh̄ı̂ khwām rạk thī̀thæ̂ cring k̄hxng reā kạb chîn s̄̀wn k̄hxng khwām rạk khrậng nī̂ c̄hạn ca h̄ı̂ reā s̄ạ̀ng reā rạk kạn dị̂ nān thèā thī̀ chīwit k̄hxng chīwit thī̀thæ̂ cring (Bleeding heart, dying mind, I cannot control my sights. I love another who cannot feel, someone who cannot make our love real. With this piece of love I give, I command we love each other for as long as true life lives.)" Gulama approached a cauldron and with a near-complete potion and dropped a scale she picked up from the Great Serpent's chambers only a few days ago. Then she dropped one of her old scales in the cauldron. The potion hissed before settling and turning violet. Gulama poured two cups of the potion. Then she slithered silently into the Great Serpent's throne room. The Great Serpent saw her, and he began to use his powers to force her out, but Gulama resisted just enough by not thinking of him._

"_I told you and all the Nagasss to leave."_

"_Master, I brought an offering of peace before we leave." Gulama handed the Great Serpent the other cup. "To Master."_

"_To me," The Great Serpent said uncertainly as he raised his cup to his mouth._

* * *

><p>(Iris's POV)<p>

Ms. Grey stares Dr. Beeman in the eye, as if she's made of pure ice. He stares at her back with pure pride. Though, I've no idea what this is about, I do not want to get involved. It's not my place anyways; this is their fight.

"I've brought her."

"I can see that."

"Payment, where is it?" Ms. Grey asks.

"I'm supposed to pay you?" Dr. Beeman asks sarcastically. Ms. Grey glares at him. The tension is palpable. "Would you relax, Ms. Grey. It's right here," Dr. Beeman says as he reaches into his pocket. Something tells me this could go horribly wrong in a matter of seconds. I try not to think of all the ways. Instead, I count the number of rocks on the mountain. I lose count after a couple minutes. Ms. Grey and Dr. Beeman have officially entered a staredown. I drop my shoulders in dismay. _Où sont Dr Grey et Saturdays? (Where are Dr. Grey and the Saturdays?)_ I look around the outside of Dr. Beeman's lab, praying that I see something that looks familiar. I see the door Dr. Grey used when she let me go, but that doesn't tell me much.

"I'll be on my way now. Good luck with this one, she's nothing but trouble," Ms. Grey finally says, breaking the silence. I am both relieved and incredibly scared. Being left in the care of Master's worst enemies, no matter how nice they seem, is horrendous, so as one can imagine, this is not much better. Dr. Beeman stops Ms. Grey and invites her inside. She turns him down and prepares to leave.

"But, Ms. Grey, won't you come see _your sister_?" Ms. Grey turns back around to face Dr. Beeman. She lifts an eyebrow and asks him to repeat what he just said. "I said, 'won't you come see _your sister_?'" Ms. Grey's manner becomes one of stone. I guess she harbors resentment towards Dr. Grey. I'd rather not find out how intense it is either. Ms. Grey stiffly wishes Dr. Beeman a pleasant day and starts walking away. But Dr. Beeman grabs her hand, telling her that Dr. Grey will need her for support after what happened the other day. Ms. Grey jerks her hand away, saying she's nothing to do with her sister anymore. Then she walks away without another word.

Dr. Beeman quotes Ms. Grey in a high-pitched voice that sends chills down my spine. Then he puts his hand on my shoulder and tells me to come. I hesitate. Dr. Beeman explains I'll be safer inside, but I still hesitate to walk. I do not trust Dr. Beeman, or really any of the Secret Scientists, but there's something comfortably familiar about Dr. Grey. If only I knew what.

After much "convincing" from Dr. Beeman, I finally decide to go inside; the real reason is that I got tired of his incessant talking. He keeps one hand on my back, just behind my shoulder, and he walks me through his lab. I see the pale man from my first day here; I'm sure he's Dr. Cheechoo. Next we pass a Native American man covered in scars from third degree burns and their treatment. _Dr Cheveyo?! Comment? Il a quitté les Scientifiques Secrètes après l'accident de brûlure Monsieur Zak a causée. (Dr. Cheveyo?! How? He left the Secret Scientists after the burn accident Mister Zak caused.)_ Dr. Beeman must sense my surprise because he explains that he convinced Dr. Cheveyo to rejoin the Scientists after he took over. I nod, acting like I understand when I really don't. Dr. Beeman drags on and on about what a struggle it was convincing Dr. Cheveyo to come back and how much better the Secret Scientists were at finding the Saturdays after he rejoined. It's hard not to laugh, knowing Master could find the Saturdays in under two minutes if he needed to. But I know I need to remain somber or else Dr. Beeman may get mad. I want to avoid that at all costs.

Finally, Dr. Beeman leads me to an empty hallway. I try not to take notice of how eerie it looks. I can only imagine what he has here. He keeps walking me down the hallway, further and further away from people. _Cela ne peut pas être un bon signe. (This cannot be a good sign.)_ Dr. Beeman stops me in front of a metal door and unties the ropes. I rub my wrists where the rope pressed. I don't even think of running.

"Here we are, Iris. Go in," Dr. Beeman directs as he opens the door. I turn to face him and look at him questioningly. I motions for me to go in, but I don't move. "Iris, what's wrong? Don't you trust me? Isn't the enemy of your enemy your friend?" I keep my mouth shut, but I furrow my brow. _Non. (No.)_ I feel Dr. Beeman's hand pushing me into the room; I don't know why I don't try to run away. I guess I just don't care anymore.

The door closes, and a deadbolt lock seals the door. _Grande. Je suis enfermé ici maintenant. Bon travail, Iris. (Great. I'm locked in here now. Good job, Iris.)_ There are no windows in this room, nor is there any light coming from under the door. _J'ai été dans des situations pires. Mais j'ai toujours su Maître reviendrait. Je ne peux pas dire la même chose pour Dr. Beeman. Je veux revenir à Maître. (I've been in worse situations. But I always knew Master would come back. I can't say the same for Dr. Beeman. I want to go back to Master.)_

I crawl my way to the corner farthest from the door and curl up in a ball. I feel like such a failure right now. The last time I saw Master, he was mad at me, Munya is missing, Father is dead, and the Saturdays are lost. The worse part is it's all my fault. I squeeze my knees tighter into my chest and rest my head on my knees. The tears start to form in my eyes. There's no stopping them now; I cry for all I've lost. I suddenly feel all my energy drained from me. I decide to rest for a little while.

_The snow blocks the door from opening. My excitement grows with every minute Daddy spends trying to open the door. He finally opens it, and I try to run outside in my pajamas. Daddy scoops me up before I can make it out. He laughs as he tosses me in the air. Then he sets me down and tells me to go get dressed in warm clothes. I run away to my room and throw on mismatched clothes, put my jacket on the wrong way, and put both my legs into one pants leg. I hop out to Daddy._

"_Iris, what am I going to do with you?" Daddy laughs with me. Then he helps me get dressed properly before sending me outside to play in the heavy snow. I see my best friend, Lindsey Campbell, playing in her yard next door. I call her over, and we start playing together. We have a snowball fight that lasts all morning. Eventually, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell call Lindsey back home for lunch. Daddy comes out shortly afterwards and tells me it's time for lunch. I reluctantly head inside, promising to Lindsey as she heads to her house that we'll continue playing later. She agrees._

_I hurriedly eat lunch with Daddy, but he takes forever. When I try to excuse myself, he tells me to wait for him to finish. I wait. Finally he finishes and puts the dishes in the dishwasher. I'm about to bolt for the door when Daddy stops me in my tracks._

"_Iris, I need to talk to you." I walk over to him and climb in his lap. He holds me and rocks me for a few minutes. I listen to the steady sound of his beating heart. "Iris, you've gotten big," Daddy's voice cracks slightly._

"_I know, Daddy. I'm seven now." Daddy holds me closer._

"_Yes, you are. Listen to me, Iris." Daddy takes a pause. "It's time you learned to take care of yourself. It's time you learned to work with others and how to take care of other people and animals." I press my head against Daddy's chest. The teardrops land on the side of my head with a plink._

"_Daddy, please don't cry. School won't be that bad. It can't be much different from homeschooling." I try to cheer him up._

"_Not school, Iris." Daddy starts sobbing. "One of my clients has offered to take you in as a protégée. He's coming today." I hug Daddy as tight as I can, scared to let go of him, of my life. He's all that I have; I can't lose him. Daddy hugs me as tight as he can. I sense another person walk into the room. I turn around; I see the person. _

"_Iris." The person runs over to me and hugs me, as if he or she is scared to let me go too. Then Daddy hugs both me and the person. The pain and love in the room is palpable. Daddy and the person let go; Daddy can't stop crying, so the person takes him to his bedroom and closes the door. _

"_Goodbye, Daddy. Goodbye, _," I say in awe. "I love you both." A deep red-violet limo pulls up, and a scary-looking butler steps out the driver's seat. He opens the door to the passenger part of the car. Out steps a man with pure white hair and a hunchback wearing a light blue cape._

"_Hello, Iris. I am V. V. Argost. You will be my manservant's protégée from now on. You will learn French and all of Munya's duties. Viens, maintenant. (Come, now.)" The butler, named Munya, takes me by the hand and walks me out of my house. He helps Mr. Argost into the limo, and walks me around to the front. He opens the door and helps me into the booster seat. Then he walks around to the driver's side._

"_Iris, when Master and your father worked this out, your father was made to think that you would be Master's protégée, not mine. But I promise, I'll take good care of you." Munya looks ahead. "It's not a far drive." The drive was spent in silence._

_When we first arrive at Mr. Argost's manor, I have to learn the rules pretty quickly. I finally catch on after a few beatings and other punishments. It's torture._

I gasp for breath when I wake up. My chest is so heavy, it feels as if there are a hundred (100) elephants sitting on it. I don't know how much time has passed since I went to sleep, but frankly, I'm not sure I want to know. _Je ne peux pas me croire. J'ai trahi Maître. Comment est le jour où il m'a sauvé mon pire souvenir? Pourquoi ne puis-je ne me souviens pas qui était l'autre personne? (I can't believe myself. I betrayed Master. How is the day he saved me my worst memory? Why can't I remember who the other person was?)_ I continue to sit in the corner for a while, but I've no clue how long.

Not being able to see anything or know what is happening is causing me to drift in and out of sanity. When insanity comes, I let go, and my situation changes to something bizarre. It becomes my escape. Nothing makes sense, but it is comforting being in my imaginary state.

Dr. Beeman comes back. He opens the door and leans against the frame. He looks at me and sighs. I pull my knees in tighter.

"You want to see them, don't you? You want to see them getting what they deserve before you return, right?" I try not to look at Dr. Beeman, but I nod. "You've been here a day, only a fraction of the time they've been here. Come on." Dr. Beeman props open the door and walks over to me; he extends his hand. I quickly shove my gloves back on and take his hand; he pulls me to my feet. We leave the room and start up the hallway. Dr. Beeman stops across from Dr. Cheveyo's lab. Dr. Beeman opens the door and lets me look. Only, I don't see anything. I turn around and look at him questioningly. He doesn't answer. Instead, he pushes me into the room. "And stay in there, Kur!" The door slams and locks. _Pourquoi as-tu pour être si stupide, Iris? (Why do you have to be so stupid, Iris?)_

"Iris?" A voice calls. The voice echos off the walls, so I don't know from which direction it came. "I'm to your left, Iris. Come here." My eyes adjust to the darkness; I look to my left and start walking cautiously. I step on something oddly shaped; something winces. I step back. "Iris." I get down on my hands and knees and crawl around what I stepped on. I find myself next to Dr. Grey. "They're over here, Iris. I can't tell if they're doing well or not." Dr. Grey reaches toward me and firmly grasps my hand, as if she's scared to let me go. Then she guides me over to where the Saturdays are. Right off the bat, I can tell Mister Zak is in the most danger. I pull off my gloves and try to heal him, but I can't. I try on all the Saturdays, but my powers won't touch them.

The door unlocks suddenly, and Dr. Beeman tosses a struggling Ms. Grey into the room. She hits the ground hardly and grunts. She seems fine, though because she stands right back up and starts swearing at the door. Then she sees Dr. Grey. "Miranda." Ms. Grey rushes over to us. "Miranda, your arm."

Dr. Grey smiles. "For my eighteenth from Papa and Derek." Dr. Grey takes a pause. "Iris, please try again. I know you can heal them." I try again, but nothing happens. I start to get frustrated. The tears well up in my eyes when Dr. Grey keeps encouraging me. Ms. Grey stays silent. "One more time, Iris, that's all I ask."

I blink back my tears and swallow. "Je ne peux pas. (I can't.)"

* * *

><p>AB: Yay! Iris talked! Iris talked! After seven chapters, she talked! (Starts happy dancing around the room, then stops and gasps before stepping back slowly.) Hello, Dr. Beeman.<p>

Dr. Beeman: Hello, AB. May I ask why you are celebrating if such sadness has just befallen you?

AB: I can't dwell in gloom. I need some kind of escape. Besides, I've done something I've never done before.

Dr. Beeman: And what, pray tell, is that?

AB: I wrote a 3,000 word chapter using only one POV, except for the myth at the beginning. That and Iris spoke for the first time since the start of chapter one.

Dr. Beeman: I see. And why are you not celebrating my victory over the Saturdays?

AB: I'll get back to you on that. To my readers, the dream Iris has where she says goodbye to her father and to the other person, I meant to leave that blank. That's part of the mystery of Iris's past; I also do not count that as her first words since the start of the story because that is a dream, a memory, therefore it has already happened. Thank you so much to all of you! Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review! Love you!


	8. Chapter 8

AB: I love how even when I need to take care of myself, I find myself back with my writing, both fanfictions and original works. I seem able to escape neither the clutches of reality nor the hold of fiction. (Is about to start a long soliloquy)

Dr. Beeman: (Walks in, interrupting AB's unstarted soliloquy) Have you figured out an answer to the question I asked you last chapter?

AB: (Sighs) Yes, I have. I wasn't celebrating your victory because it wasn't difficult to let you win. It was a struggle to keep Iris quiet, even if she was doing so on her own terms.

Dr. Beeman: Or, you are rooting for the Saturdays.

AB: No, I'm not. I'm the author, I don't get to pick sides. However, I do have favorites.

Dr. Beeman: AB, you're not supposed to pick favorites. It makes you biased.

AB: I am not biased; I have different favorites for different roles. One of my favorites for protagonist is already dead, and the other one, at the rate the story's headed, will be gone soon. Besides, my favorites will change as the story goes on; you're in the running for a favorite later on.

Dr. Beeman: I doubt that.

AB: Whatever. I'm really sorry if the last two chapters have been awful; not to burst anyone's bubble, but this one will probably be awful too. I've been a wreck, and so has my writing. To the guest who suggested the chapter with the song lyrics, voici (here). I'll bold the lyrics so you can tell where they are. FYI: this chapter hints at the reason I rated this story T. "Better safe than sorry" was my entire thought process for this whole chapter. Disclaimer: _The Secret Saturdays_ belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network. Also, I do not own the rights to the Goo Goo Dolls' song "Iris." It's early, but here's Chapter 8: World of Impossible

* * *

><p><em>(3rd Person POV)<em>

_The Great Serpent felt ill the next day, so he stayed in his chambers all day. _

"_Agrata. My dear Agrata, I'd fight any war to sssee you, _"_**And I'd give up forever to touch you. 'Caus**__ss__**e you're the clos**__ss__**est to Heaven that I'll ever be . . ."**_ _now that I'm condemned to rule the Underworld. _"_**And I don't want to go home right now."**_ _The Great Serpent finally left his chambers to find something to eat. He found something, but he took only a bite. _"_**And all I can tas**__ss__**te is this moment. And all I can breathe is your life."**_

_The same god who had come to visit the Great Serpent before suddenly returned. The god laughed at the Great Serpent's condition and told him he deserved it. Then the god told the Great Serpent it was time he made his way to the Underworld. But the Great Serpent refused. He told the god that it was not fair that he was forced the rule the Underworld when there were plenty of gods that would be more than happy to take his place. The god growled at the Great Serpent and told him to wait there until he came back; then the god vanished._

_The Great Serpent felt dizzy all of a sudden, so he went to lie down again. He fell asleep and started dreaming. But his dreams were not one of Agrata. No, these were dreams about Gulama and his newfound, undying passion for her. The Great Serpent called out to her both in his dream and in his sleep. Gulama was telling him that his power would soon end. _

_To that the Great Serpent replied, _"_**When s**__ss__**ooner or later it's**__ss_ _**over, I jus**__ss__**t don't want to miss**__s_ _**you tonight."**_ _The sound of bells and other chimes woke the Great Serpent from his sleep. He opened his eyes and saw five messengers, all human females in burgundy midriffs, pants, and flowing skirts, standing in the center of his chambers._

"_Are you the Great Serpent?" A tall blonde one asked, her hair tied back in a sleek ponytail. The Great Serpent nodded, astonished._

"_The Gods of Sumer send us. They request that you please make haste to the Underworld. They say that you will find a surprise there." Another one said. The other three messengers stood silently._

"_Tell them I sssaid no. The journey takesss me around the world until I reach the deepessst dessscent. _"_**And I don't want the world to **__ss__**see me becaus**__ss__**e I don't think that they'd unders**__ss__**tand."**_" _The Great Serpent turned his back to the messengers._

"_Your Greatness," the youngest of the messengers spoke, "the balance between the living and the dead will be broken if the departed do not have a powerful figure to control them. The Gods chose you for that reason and not the other Gods who wanted the position." The youngest paused. "Your Greatness, I know the pain you feel is immense, I do."_

"_Kash," the eldest, and the first one to speak, warned._

"_No. Your Greatness, please Agrata may not remember what she felt for you, but you know Gulama will never forget you. Nor will you forget her."_

"_Just like Gulama told me before ssshe left lassst night. "_"_**When everything's**__ss_ _**made to be broken, I jus**__ss__**t want you to know who I am."**_" _The Great Serpent smiled, love stricken by the thought of Gulama. No one knew it was only the potion Gulama had given the Great Serpent that was doing its job. Nor did anyone notice the Kash, the youngest messenger, knew these facts. "I'll go, but only if Gulama will join me there, alive."_

"_As you wish," all five of the messengers said as they vanished. The Great Serpent then began preparing to make his journey. But he knew something was off; he felt very different from his usual self. Hoping he was simply falling ill, the Great Serpent went to lie down in his chambers and sleep the illness away. He took no notice that his scales were changing color from purest white to deepest brown-orange._

* * *

><p>(Dr. Grey's POV)<p>

I wake after a difficult night's sleep only to discover I am nauseous and that my right arm in completely numb. I almost start to panic; it's my worst nightmare come true. I try to move my arm, and, much to my relief, it moves. I exhale gratefully. Then I notice Iris sitting to my left, wide awake and curled up in ball. There's so much I want to tell her, but I know I can't. There's a heavy weight on my right arm, I now realize. It feels like Abbey's leaning against it. I look over, and sure enough, she is. A smile finds its way onto my face. I haven't been this physically close to Abbey in years, not since I was twelve and she was ten.

I gently pull my right arm from behind my sister and move it a little to get the blood flowing again. The pins-and-needles feeling comes and makes it painful to put pressure on my arm, but I crawl over to Iris anyways. We sit there in total silence for a few minutes. I don't want to interrupt her thoughts. She starts talking out loud.

"Je suis trés stupide. (I'm so stupid.)"

"No, Iris, you're not."

"Si, je suis. (Yes, I am.)"

"Iris, listen to me. This was bound to happen no matter what. Dr. Beeman just isn't the kind of person to just let something take away his 'victory' and move on," I explain. Iris squeezes her knees in tighter to her chest. She starts blinking rapidly, as if she's fighting tears. ""**You can't fight the tears that ain't coming, or the moment of truth in your lies."**" Iris looks at me in childlike shock. "Iris, you keep lying to yourself, and that needs to stop." Abbey starts to stir, so I crawl back over to her. She wakes up slowly. Once she's fully awake, Abbey expresses her desire to get her hands on Arthur and kill him. _Same old Abbey._

I look over to the Saturdays as Iris tries in vain to heal them. I know she has some kind of power, but I wonder why it isn't working. She finally throws in the towel and calls it quits, not that I can blame her or anything. But she's more patience than I've, that's for sure. Iris makes her way back over to my side and curls up in that familiar ball shape. She rocks slightly and sings the lyrics to a song that seems so familiar. If only I knew that much French.

". . . chacun est une pierre, mais vous n'êtes pas seul (every one is a stone, but you're not alone). . ." Her meek voice sounds so perfect with the tone of the song, even if her pitch is off, not that I have much room to talk. Iris keeps singing so softly that I can't make out the words. But it's completely fine. Abbey doesn't say anything about it either. All three of us just sit in silence after Iris stops singing. The darkness of the room and the situation we're in has that effect on us. It seems almost calming.

A few hours later, the heavy metal door screeches to a barely open position, and Paul walks in. He looks at me, the light from corridor shadowing his face just enough to make him look sinister. There's a coldness to his face, a hardness to his actions. Paul sets something down on the floor and steps out before any of us has the idea to bolt. It locks, but a few minutes later, Arthur comes in. Abbey's whole body tenses as the fight instinct kicks in. I have to restrain her. Abbey, Iris, and I watch helplessly as Arthur injects each of the Saturdays with something I pray isn't poison. After he's done, Arthur saunters over my way, grabs my left arm, and yanks me to my feet. _Not this again. Anything but this._ I fight back against Arthur, but I trip; he takes advantage of this. I'm not clear on how he does it, but Arthur somehow forces me from the room, into the hallway, and into my room. He lets me go, and I instinctively prepare to fight. There's no way, my guard is going down now. I face Arthur, who seems so cocksure in his abilities. I watch as he signs something. I spin around and spy David. I dodge him quickly, and start fighting him. He looks me in the eyes, and I see the reason I fell for him back in college all over again: he reminds me of Derek.

"David." I'm facing him, meaning my back is to Arthur. "David, you don't have to do this," I mutter. Someone's hands grab my neck from behind. Or at least they try to, but the steel strip I have sewn into my collar prevents them from doing so. I feel their fingers move up my neck to the place where my collar stops. It all happens so fast, I don't have time to force the person off. The person's fingers press harshly on my neck. I've ten seconds before I black out. I kick and headbutt as much as I can, but the pressure intensifies. I lose control and black out.

"_For my eighteenth birthday seven months past, Father and Derek paid for me to have a surgery to repair my right arm." I write the sentence in my diary. "It's now in a sling, and I am on my way to California for a summer internship with family friend Dr. Steve Baloen." I smile to myself. I miss Dr. Baloen so much and can't wait to see him._

_The plane lands a few hours later, and I hurry off. I'm so anxious to spend the summer doing what I love. In my haste, I bump into a young man with graying black hair and pink glasses. He's reading a book on space. I apologize and keep moving, but I drop one of my science books on the ground. The young man bends down, picks it up, and calls to me. I walk back over to him, struggling with all my luggage and the use of only one arm. He slides the book into my sling, but he places it in a place that doesn't hurt. I thank him, and turn to leave; the transport Dr. Baloen arranged has arrived. _

"_I'm Arthur," he calls as I rush off._

_I turn around to face him before walking out the door. "Miranda," I call my name out to Arthur. _

_I meet with the driver, and he helps me get into the car and puts my luggage in the back. I ask how long he's known Dr. Baloen, and the driver answers thirty-three years. We talk for the duration of the hour drive, until we pull up in the research station; Dr. Baloen races out to greet me. He hugs me and asks about my arm. I tell him the story._

_Several weeks later, I'm finishing up some work in Dr. Baloen's lab late at night. I've just stepped out of the room and turned off all the lights, when I hear a loud clanging. I open the door and flick the lights back on and look around, but I see nothing. I double check everything and go back to the lightswitch by the door.. I hear the clanging again, only this time louder. I look around once more, and find nothing. This pattern continues several times before I finally find something in the lab two rooms over. I see Abbey in there, but she's not awake; I begin to question my hold on reality. A pair of hands grabs my neck suddenly . . ._

I wake up in my room at Arthur's lab, sunlight streaming in through the window and feeling nauseous. Then I notice how cold I am; I'm not in the bed, nor am I dressed. I see my clothes, washed and neatly folded, on the bedside table. I wrap myself in a blanket I grab off the bed and grab my clothes. A note falls to the ground. "With love, Arthur." My eyes widen, my heart pounding. _NO! NO! NO! NOT AGAIN! This cannot be reality! This feels surreal, it feels like a movie!_ I race to get dressed, but in my hurry, I scrape my ankle on the bed. It starts to bleed. "_**When everything feels like the movies, yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive."**_

(Iris's POV)

I watch as Ms. Grey drives herself to the point of insanity many times. She screams at the door, at the wall, at the Saturdays, and at me in multiple intervals. I try not to notice. I seem to be doing pretty well at it.

The door swings open, and it's Dr. Beeman again. Ms. Grey about goes bizzerk, so I try to restrain her before she hurts herself. It doesn't work at all. She starts ranting to him about everything, using a rainbow of words. Dr. Beeman just blows her off and keeps doing whatever it is he's doing. I've noticed that Ms. Grey and I have the ability to stop Dr. Beeman, but neither of us has the willpower or the strength to do so.

Dr. Beeman leaves, and I go back to the Saturdays. They keep getting worse, and Mister Zak is the closest to death out of all of them. I keep trying to heal him, but something's blocking my powers. I can't get them to go through, even without the gloves. But I keep trying. I know it won't work, but with each failed attempt, I hope that the next will work. I suppose I keep trying because I belong to them, and because it's my duty. But I can't say for sure.

Ms. Grey attempts to figure out how long we've been here, but it's no use. It doesn't change the situation one bit. Ms. Grey curses her broken phone and Dr. Beeman. I just stay out of her way as best as I can. It's easier said than done, considering the size of the room.

"I wonder who's next," Ms. Grey says.

"Pardon? (Pardon?)" I ask.

"Think about it, Iris. First the Saturdays, now Miranda. Which of us is next?"

"Je ne sais pas, Mademoiselle. (I don't know, Miss.)" We stop talking for a long time after that. I have a feeling, that Ms. Grey hopes I'm next.

Dr. Beeman comes back in intervals throughout the day (or night, there's no way to tell). Each time, he does something to the Saturdays, but he does so from the doorway; there's no way we could escape. _D'ailleurs, j'ai besoin de rester avec les Saturdays. (Besides, I need to stay with the Saturdays.)_ After a while, Ms. Grey becomes tired, as do I, so we decide to rest for just a moment or two. We end up sleeping the equivalent of one night.

When we wake up, Dr. Beeman is in the room. Ms. Grey lifts an eyebrow and indicates that she's going to pounce. I don't know whether to discourage this rash act or to bite my tongue as I was thought to do. Ms. Grey acts quickly, but Dr. Beeman suspected something. He turns around as Ms. Grey is about to attack and stabs her in side. She falls to ground in pain. _Au moins, elle est encore en vie. (At least she's still alive.)_ Her blood starts to pool. I feel my legs take me over to the door very quietly.

"Que voulez-vous de moi? Que puis-je vous qui vous fera repens donner? Que va faire vous laissez moi à les sauver? (What do you want from me? What can I give you that will make you relent? What will make you let me save them?)" I cry. The tears are heavy on my face.

"Nothing will stop me. Even after I take what I want, I will never finish. Stupid girl, it's impossible for you to save them when you can't even save yourself. Your powers working is impossible. This a world of impossible, and it's high time you learned so." Dr. Beeman turns to leave.

"Prenez-les. (Take them)."

"Excuse me?"

"Mes pouvoirs, prenez-les. Je ne veux pas eux après tout le mal qu'ils ont causé. (My powers, take them. I don't want them after all the trouble they've caused.)"

"With pleasure." Then Dr. Beeman grabs my wrist and starts dragging me out of the room and into the hallway. I feel something in my left arm start popping and shooting pain up it. I try pulling back, but the pain gets worse. I just start walking behind Dr. Beeman, accepting my fate. Something makes noise behind me, but I don't bother to look. The sound of heels clicking on the tile floor gets louder and faster. I close my eyes and pray that this is over soon.

"Arthur." _Je sais cette voix! C'est Dr Grey! (I know that voice! It's Dr. Grey!)_

"How'd you escape?"

"It's not hard to escape anything when your captor leaves your matter transporter, the one he stole upon your initial capture, lying under on the closet shelf." Dr. Grey smirks as Dr. Beeman swears.

"I suppose you're going to try to be the hero you weren't when your brother died, aren't you?"

"For once, you've guessed something correctly." Dr. Grey's voice sounds confident and assured, but her eyes betray her and reveal the pain she harbors from her brother's death. _Attendez, son frère? Dr Grey avait un frère? (Wait, her brother? Dr. Grey had a brother?)_ The two scientists have a short-lived standoff before Dr. Grey makes the first move. Dr. Beeman throws me against the wall, and I scoot out of the way. I don't know how long it takes, but Dr. Grey soon has Dr. Beeman's throat. "Now you know how it feels, but unlike you, I'll make sure you never wake from it."

"But, Miranda, you don't have the guts to kill," Dr. Beeman chokes out. Dr. Grey draws her hand back. Dr. Beeman collapses on the ground.

"Let's go, Iris," Dr. Grey commands; I stand as she makes a portal. Then I realize I know that portal too.

"Vous m'avez sauvé il ya trois semaines. (You saved me three weeks ago.)"

"Yes. Now let's go." We step through the portal and find ourselves back in the room. Dr. Grey gasps when she sees Ms. Grey, deathly pale and lying in her own blood. "Abbey!" Dr. Grey cries as she holds Ms. Grey's head in her hands. "Abbey. Not you too. Please, Dear God, do not take Abbey too." The door swings open; it's Dr. Beeman. Dr. Grey motions for me to take Ms. Grey's head. I lift it and try in vain to heal her, but nothing works. I blink back tears. _S'il vous plaît ne pas mourir, Mlle Grey. (Please don't die, Ms. Grey.)_ I watch as her breathing slows until it almost stops. Ms. Grey suddenly become heavy.

Dr. Grey pulls a pocketknife, and flips it open. She holds it just beside her left leg and approaches Dr. Beeman.

"Who said I don't have the guts to kill?" She asks snarkily. "Oh wait, you did." Then Dr. Grey stabs Dr. Beeman in the thigh and pulls the knife out. Dr. Beeman keels over in pain and starts gasping.

"Miranda, please. I'm sorry."

"It's too late." Dr. Grey watches as large quantities of Dr. Beeman's blood spill out. She's smiling powerfully, but her eyes convey sadness and terror. She knows she's no better than the man bleeding to death before her. Dr. Grey turns away from the dying man.

"Miranda, if you save me, I'll make a truce."

"For how long?"

"How ever long you need."

Dr. Grey looks to me; I nod, while holding Ms. Grey's head. "Two months," Dr. Grey replies. Then she nods to me, and I race over to Dr. Beeman. I heal him successfully, and he walks out of the room as if he were never injured. Dr. Grey kneels next to her sister and cries. "What have I done? Why is loving the enemy so impossible? Why is this world so impossible?"

* * *

><p>AB: Well, that was, um … violent. Thank you for nothing, Dr. Beeman. This is what I get for letting you drive this chapter, isn't? Hey, where'd everybody go? (Looks around and sees no one.) Great, now I'm alone all over again. I figure I'll go ahead and tell you all this, but I did not finish Dr. Grey's worst memory; I did so on purpose. I'm not going to tell you why, though. That's something you'll figure out later. I'm also not going to say why Dr. Grey asked for two months or what Abbey's fate is. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, even if it was a lot darker and more violent than usual. And to the guest with the lyrics suggestion, I know it's different, but what did you think? Please, if you like this fanfiction, tell your friends who know about <em>The Secret Saturdays<em>; I want to know if people are having a good time reading this and if they would enjoy a sequel. Two more quick notes: 1) my friend actually helped me write the song Iris sings, and 2) if you ever have any questions for me or the characters, feel free to ask. Don't forget to review, follow, and favorite! Love you all!


	9. Chapter 9

AB: Seriously, where does everybody keep going?! Ugh! Guess what, everyone, I'm alone for the start of this chapter too. I'm sorry that last chapter was dark, violent, and an explanation into why the fanfiction's rated T. I'll try not to do it again. This chapter doesn't have much going on. Also, as I said at the end of the last chapter, if you like reading this fanfiction, please let me know, and please tell others. I want to know as a writer what you all think of my writing style. I do a fair amount of original works, so I want to have an idea of what the public thinks. One last thing before I go: sorry about just adding the countdown/time limit in the story last chapter. I meant to do it sooner, but I couldn't find a good place for it. With that said, let the two months in the story begin! Disclaimer: _The Secret Saturdays_ belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network. Here's Chapter 9: Free at Last

* * *

><p><em>(3rd Person POV)<em>

_When the Great Serpent awoke, he knew he would have to gather up his belongings that day in order to leave by the set time. He started his task, not bothering to glance at his tail, which was by that point mostly brown-orange. All he knew was that he was going to get to see his true love and spend eternity with her in his realm, the Underworld. And he had that young messenger, Kash, to thank._

_Night soon fell, and the Great Serpent left his palace to travel to the Underworld. He learned that travelling at night was safer and far more enjoyable for himself than travelling during daylight. As the Great Serpent travelled, his mind began to plot and twist. He realized gradually that something was amiss, but the damage had been done. His mind began to twist even more as plans to conquer the world and regain his throne among the Sumerian gods developed. The Great Serpent, his mind split in two, fought with himself over what he wanted to do. His usual self said accept his kingdom below the earth and rule with his future queen, Gulama, but this new Great Serpent wanted to destroy the gods and rule over heaven, earth, and underworld. While all of this was happening, the Great Serpent's scales changed colors rapidly from white to brown-orange and back to white. Finally, around midnight, the Great Serpent stopped. His mind was too chaotic for him to travel safely._

_Oh, how he yearned to have the power of the gods and the messengers. Oh, how he wished for the power to appear and disappear whenever and wherever he wanted. But he had not been gifted with such a blessing; no, he had unique travelling abilities, but they they were nowhere near as convenient as the others'. The Great Serpent's power was the ability to cross the earth in only a few hours, as if he were breaking the tie between time and space. _

_The Great Serpent rested in his stopping place and waited several hours before continuing his journey. He was about to village just a few miles from where the gods dwelled. The the sun was starting to rise, so the Great Serpent decided to sleep rather than travel during day and be seen by his believers. Normally he would have relished the attention, but something had changed in the Great Serpent, and he didn't want anyone else to notice it._

_The Great Serpent fell asleep, but he awoke around midday to the sound of a young woman crying. The Great Serpent looked around from his hiding place and saw a young woman from the nearby village crying as a giant Naga hissed at her and told her she would never escape him. The woman begged the Naga to let her go, calling him the Great Serpent. The true Great Serpent was taken aback by this. The Naga was pretending to be him! The Great Serpent started to reveal himself, but when he looked down at his scales, he was no longer white but completely brown-orange, and his once curved spines were now sharp and jagged spikes coming off his back. The Great Serpent realized that something had twisted him to make him this way, and he fled is hiding place, hoping he could reach the Underworld before someone saw him._

* * *

><p>(Iris's POV)<p>

Dr. Grey doesn't sleep all night, nor does she leave her sister's side. She keeps praying for some kind of miracle to take place and let us escape. She continuously asks me to try to heal Ms. Grey again, and each time something blocks my powers. Dr. Grey just holds her sister's head in her lap and cries. I can only imagine the pain she must be feeling. To my knowledge, she's the only one left, but I also did not know about her brother, so it's possible she has other siblings. Dr. Grey's soft cries become loud sobs after a while as she begs her sister and God to do something. I only sit there in silence as she keens.

Then Dr. Grey suddenly stops keening and makes no noise. She grabs Ms. Grey's wrist and turns it over, pulling off her glove and feeling the underside of Ms. Grey's wrist. Dr. Grey gasps and hugs her sister ever so gently. Then she shoves her glove back on and pulls out her matter transporter, or at least she tries to pull it out, but it's not there. Dr. Grey starts to panic, as calmly as she can, before asking me to sit by Ms. Grey while she looks for her matter transporter. I crawl over and hold Ms. Grey's head; Dr. Grey crawls on her hands and knees and searches everywhere in the cramped room for the transporter.

"I bet you're getting a kick out of this, all you, aren't you?" Dr. Grey hisses under her breath. "Making us act like caged animals for your own enjoyment. That's just sick." I have no earthly idea to whom Dr. Grey is speaking, but I guess I shouldn't ask. Dr. Grey keeps searching the room for the matter transporter until she finds her way to the door. She mumbles something as she picks up a small object. "Found it," she sighs, "or well part of it. I bet Arthur has the other parts. It would make sense, he could have grabbed it as he was walking out." Dr. Grey sounds as if she's trying more to convince herself what happened than explain where the transporter's gone to me. Then she crawls back over to Ms. Grey and me and starts stroking Ms. Grey's black hair. Dr. Grey has some interesting instincts, I'm noticing. _Je me demande si cela à cause de la mort de son frère. (I wonder if this is because of her brother's death.)_

Dr. Grey watches over Ms. Grey, and I the Saturdays. We both have a goal to keep the dying people in this room alive for as long as possible. I just hope we can accomplish that goal. As I think, my eyes find themselves looking at the two sisters. I pray everyone survives this ordeal, oh, how I pray. Then I notice that the knife in Ms. Grey's side is not stabilized. I make my next to her, and untie my apron. Next I carefully wrap it securely around the knife and Ms. Grey's waist. I pull it taut and tie a knot.

"Cela devrait aider à arrêter tout écoulement de l'excès de sang et de garder le couteau toujours à minimiser les dommages internes, (That should help stop any excess blood flow and keep the knife still to minimize internal damage,)" I explain.

"Thank you, Iris." Dr. Grey says nothing for a long time. Then she breaks the silence. "Iris, do you want to learn to speak English?" I nod eagerly. It will make communicating so much easier!

The door swings open slightly, and in walks an Asian man. My brow knits itself together in ignorance. This man is obviously a Secret Scientist, but I don't know who he is. My attention turns to Dr. Grey, in hopes that she recognizes him, but she seems just as confused as I. Her eyes widen in surprise after a moment. She says the name Talu, and the man nods. Dr. Grey asks how, but the man gives no response. Suddenly, the name Talu registers to me: Professor Talu Mizuki! His place on Master's list was next to Dr. Beeman. My guess is that the two work very closely together.

Professor Mizuki's eyes flash utter hatred for Dr. Grey. It's the kind of hatred I've only seen with complete betrayal, like that one time Munya . . .

"Talu, please. My sister and the Saturdays are dying."

"Why should I? You betrayed us, all of us!"

"You were going to kill him. I didn't have a choice!" The door slams shut, leaving the two of us in total shock. Dr. Grey looks at me. "I swear I didn't have a choice. I wasn't about to let them kill him." Dr. Grey places her hand on her stomach, as if it hurts.

It's been a long day, or so it feels, so we attempt at rest. Dr. Grey stays up for a long time, unable to sleep from anxiety. My rule is just to wait until after everyone's asleep before going to sleep. Dr. Grey fidgets a lot before settling against the wall, her sister's head in her lap. She starts to doze off.

"Certaines choses que vous ne pouvez pas dire, les murs et le sol autour de nous ont été construits sur les secrets anciens, mais le plafond ci-dessus nous montre qu'ils nous aiment; chacun est une pierre, mais vous n'êtes pas seul; bébé de mes enfants, je sais que vous ferez très bien; oublient ce qu'ils vous ont dit, ils ne savent pas vraiment vous; enfant bébé, vous reposer et de bien dormir toute la nuit; lorsque le soleil se lève le matin, je serai là avec vous, vous verrez; mais quand je suis parti, je vous suis comme les étoiles et le soleil; souvenez-vous toujours, vous êtes le meilleur bébé jamais et je vous souhaite bonne nuit; bonne nuit. (Some things you cannot be told, the walls and floor around us were built on secrets old, but the ceiling above us shows that they love us; every one is a stone, but you're not alone; baby child of mine, I know you'll do just fine; forget what they've told you, they don't really know you; baby child, you'll rest alright and sleep through the night; when the sun rises in morning, I'll be here with you, you'll see; but when I am gone, I'll follow you like the stars and the sun; always remember, you're the best baby ever and I wish you goodnight; goodnight.)" I finish singing; I don't know where I learned the song, but I've just known it for as long as I can remember. But it doesn't sound right in French, as if I learned it in another language. I look over at Dr. Grey, who has fallen asleep, and then I curl up and fall asleep.

When I wake the next morning, I have a heavy feeling in my chest, and the guilt is overpowering. I do not remember my dream, but something is telling me that I dreamed of Master and Munya. Dr. Grey is not yet awake, so I crawl over to all the Saturdays and check each one of them. They all seem to be doing pretty well, but I can't say because I've no idea what Dr. Beeman does to them. I notice that Mister Zak's breathing is labored, so I try to heal him. This time, surprisingly, it works. Well, it kind of works. His breathing settles for a while, but I feel much weaker, as if part of me is gone.

Dr. Beeman opens the door a few hours later. He sees me and kicks me out of his way. He mumbles something I do not hear under his breath. I crawl over to the wall and watch. Then I notice that the syringes are much larger this time than they were the last time I saw them. This cannot be a good thing. Dr. Beeman stabs each of the syringes into the Saturdays' shoulders and slowly injects the liquid. My heart races, I want to protect them, but there's nothing I can do.

"Arthur, this has to stop. Haven't you done enough to hurt us all? First chasing them, then trying to kill him, now this. Arthur, what will you gain from murder? Your sister will never come back, you know that. So why do you want to make others hurt so badly, others who had nothing to do with what happened?" Dr. Grey sounds so much like a mother, it's scary.

"What do you know about my sister?" Dr. Beeman hisses.

"A lot more than you think." Dr. Beeman finishes with the syringe and tosses it the side. Then he walks over to Dr. Grey and whips out the rest of her matter transporter. Dr. Grey gasps.

"Tell me what you know, or else."

"I was the last person to talk to her, just hours before it happened. She said she was going out for a while. I offered to stay up until she got home, but she declined. I went to bed that night and got the call the next morning." Dr. Grey breathes heavily. "Arthur, had I known, I never would have let her walk out that door." Dr. Grey smoothes Ms. Grey's hair. "She was an angel. You know she wouldn't want you doing this. Besides, if you're going to 'punish' anyone, it ought to be me." I admire Dr. Grey's bravery.

"I already have," Dr. Beeman retorts. Then he drops the matter transporter on the metal ground, breaking it, and locks the door on his way out. Dr. Grey stares in utter shock and horror at her destroyed device. She doesn't say a word for a while, a long while. When she finally comes to her senses, Dr. Grey motions for me to come over and take her sister's head. Then she crawls over to her broken matter transporter. She picks up the pieces one by one, shuddering at each.

"Dr Grey, êtes-vous d'accord? (Dr. Grey are you alright?)" I ask.

"I'm fine." Dr. Grey looks at the pieces. "Who am I kidding? No, Iris, I am not alright. We just lost out only way out of here. And I can never build another one ever again."

"Pourquoi pas? (Why not?)"

"Because I don't have the plans anymore. My work was so secretive that I had to destroy all evidence of a discovery after I created a smaller device. That was the only matter transporter in the world, and now it's busted." Dr. Grey continues to pick up the pieces in silence. I can only imagine the emotions coursing through her body.

In the meantime, I try to heal Ms. Grey once more. Her pulse is extremely weak, and I'm worried for her. My gloves come off, and I place my hands on her chest, but nothing happens. _Elle a perdu beaucoup de sang. Elle va mourir si cela ne fonctionne pas. (She's lost so much blood. She's going to die if this does not work.)_ Once more, I try in vain. _Qu'est-ce qui empêche mes pouvoirs? Pourquoi ne est-ce efficace? (What's stopping my powers? Why isn't this working?)_ Then I hear Dr. Grey grunt a little. I look over and see her holding her bleeding palm; her blood is showing through her glove. I hurry over to her and reach for her hand. She nods and tentatively removes her glove.

"I know it has to be skin-to-skin. And, I'm willing to face whatever memory comes." I nod and press her hand between mine. I imagine the cut vanishing and it appearing on my body. I breathe deeply as the exchange takes place. When I open my eyes, Dr. Grey's hand is healed, and my hand looks as if nothing happened. Then I look at Dr. Grey's eyes. They're fearful and anxious. "Do you have any idea how to control your powers?"

"Non. (No.)" I look down at my hands and stuff them back inside the gloves. _Je ne veux pas que quelqu'un de mal à cause de moi. (I don't want anyone to hurt because of me.)_

Dr. Cheveyo drops in a couple of times, but he only looks at us with scorn. His eyes show no emotion besides hatred. It makes me wonder what the Saturdays and Dr. Grey have done to them and if I should hate them too. It makes me question whom I can trust without Master here to guide me. It makes me contemplate what happened to Master to make him forget to come reclaim me.

Several more hours pass, and the two of us feel drowsy. Dr. Grey is the first to drop off to sleep, and I'm the second. I dream of Father and the person whose identity escapes me. It was Christmas, and the three of us were together. If only I could remember this person. Then I might have a clue as to now what. But I don't so, I have to serve the Saturdays and succumb to their plans. It's just part of being a servant, I suppose.

Morning comes before I'm ready, but I know I have to take care of the people around me. Dr. Grey wakes up shortly after I do, and we immediately begin devising a plan to get out of here, after we discover Ms. Grey and Mister Zak have both taken turns for the worse. After about fifteen minutes of planning, we come to a decision. But there's no guarantee Professor Mizuki will be the person who opens the door. All we can do is wait and hope. Time is a tortoise.

After an eternity of waiting, the door opens. Dr, Grey nods to me, and I grab the leg of the person and pull on it. The person, who turns out to be Professor Mizuki, tries to shake me off, opening the door even wider in the process. Dr. Grey sets her sister's head on the ground gently and lunges for the door. She pulls it open all the way with a SCREECH. Then she leans against it to keep it open as she grabs Professor's Mizuki's arm and bends it behind his back.

"Listen to me, Talu. You're going to help us escape this cursed place, or I'll tell Arthur about that time you crashed-"

"Like I care."

"Do I also need to mention that Iris here has special powers that could destroy you in a matter of seconds if she wanted to?"

"I thought you were refusing to 'sink down to our level.' What happened to you?" Professor Mizuki snaps.

"I haven't killed anyone. I haven't held ten people captive in a small closet for a week. I haven't -"

"Enough, or I shall call Arthur."

"Do it, and Iris here will annihilate you." This discussion continues for several more minutes until Professor Mizuki finally gives in. He tied our hands behind our backs as part of the escape plan, and tells Dr. Cheveyo and Dr. Cheechoo to go get the Saturdays and Ms. Grey from the room and to bring them to Dr. Beeman's airship immediately. They hurry to the room.

"Dr Grey, je n'ai pas les pouvoirs de détruire, (Dr. Grey, I don't have destroying powers,)" I whisper on the way out.

"Je sais. (I know.)" Dr. Grey then shoots me a look that tells me to stop talking, so I shut up. Professor Mizuki leads us out to the hangar, and finding Dr. Beeman's airship out of order, loads us onto Ms. Grey's, which is now working and somehow here. Dr. Grey smiles triumphantly. I have a feeling she knows something about Dr. Beeman's being out of order.

Once everyone is on the ship and Professor Mizuki, Dr. Cheveyo, and Dr. Cheechoo are all off and inside, Dr. Grey slices her ropes and takes the controls. She sighs and ignites the airship's engine. She smiles. "Thank you, Father, for being a commercial pilot," she whispers as we take off. Once we're high in the air, I see Dr. Beeman start yelling at everybody down below. "So, Iris, would you like to learn your first words in English?" I nod. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>AB: (blinks three times.) Um . . . Er . . . Uh. Okay then. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and you'll have to wait to find out what happens to Abbey and the Saturdays. In the meantime, let me know what you all think of this story and of my writing style. If you have any questions, for me or the characters, feel free to ask. I don't bite, I swear. Love you all! Don't forget to -<p>

Iris: Vais-je savoir ce qui est arrivé aux Maître et Munya, et je suis jamais je vais rappeler qui la personne est dans mes souvenirs? (Am I ever going to find out what happened to Master and Munya, and am I ever going to remember who the person in my memories is?)

AB: Un jour, mais pas aujourd'hui. (Someday, but not today.) Who do you all think the person is? And what do you all think happened to Dr. Beeman's sister? Don't forget to follow, favorite, review, or all three!


	10. Chapter 10

AB: (Places Christmas decorations on her mini tree and sets out a menorah. Also sets out stuffed snowmen and gingerbread houses.) Merry Christmas to all my Christian readers, Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish readers, and Happy Holidays/Season's Greetings to everyone else! I wish you all a fabulous day! I don't have much to say, unusually. (Dr. Beeman, Dr. Grey, and Iris walk in, scaring AB.) Don't do that, you guys!

Dr. Beeman: Why not? It's fun to watch people suffer.

AB: (sotto voce) Sociopath.

Dr. Grey: Don't listen to him, AB. Iris and I didn't mean to scare you.

AB: Thanks, Dr. Grey.

Iris: Faites-vous un Noël / vacances à thème chapitre aujourd'hui? (Are you doing a Christmas/holiday themed chapter today?)

AB: Non. C'est juin dans l'histoire, de sorte que serait juste un peu bizarre. Désolée. (No. It's June in the story, so that would just be a little odd. Sorry.) (Turns from Dr. Grey, Dr. Beeman, and Iris to address readers.) Can you all do me a favor? Would you like to see anything in French in italics, no matter if it's spoken or thought, or would that be too confusing? Let me know, and I'll ask again after the chapter. Disclaimer: _The Secret Saturdays_ belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network. Here's Chapter 10: Wake Up!

* * *

><p><em>(3rd Person POV)<em>

_The Great Serpent descended deep below the earth. He continued on his path until he reached the Underworld. There, he saw a sand colored Naga with her black hair cut short and pulled into a tight ponytail; she greeted the Great Serpent by bowing low enough to touch the ground.  
><em> _"Master," she said humbly. The Great Serpent raised her up from her bow and embraced her. Gulama welcomed her master's embrace. She knew her spell was working, and her plan would soon be complete, so long as the spirit of Agrata did not appear in the Underworld.  
><em> _The Great Serpent tried profusely to apologize to Gulama, but she refused to allow her master apologize to her. She claimed that she and the Nagas ought to be apologizing to him. The two continued with this petty argument for some while. The argument finally ended with Great Serpent said that he would repay the Nagas, especially Gulama.  
><em> _"I love you," the Great Serpent whispered. Then he pointed around his new kingdom. "Everything you sssee is mine, but I do not want it unlesss you will sssit bessside me." Gulama stifled a gasp. "Be my queen."  
><em> _"Master, I cannot. I am merely your servant, not a queen."  
><em> _"Then I will change that. You will no longer be Gulama. You will become Rani Nagi." Gulama tried to act surprised, but she could not. This was her plan, unbeknownst to the Great Serpent, and it was coming together.  
><em> _"Master, I will be your queen, but only if you will give up your powers over the Nagas." Gulama knew what she was doing the entire time. After a moment of thought, the Great Serpent agreed to the conditions. They began planning their wedding right off the bat.  
><em> _The day of their wedding, the Great Serpent gave Gulama his powers over the Nagas. That same day, a coronation took place for the Great Serpent; a following coronation crowned Gulama, Rani Nagi. But Gulama, now Rani Nagi, had yet to finish her plan._

* * *

><p>(Iris's POV)<p>

Dr. Grey shakes me awake; I realize where we are. We're in a hospital, waiting to hear if Ms. Grey survived surgery. I'm also keeping an eye on the Saturdays' statuses. I don't know what I'll do if ownership changes again. Suddenly, a doctor walks into the waiting room where Dr. Grey and I stayed the night. She smiles at us as Dr. Grey stands. The doctor nods and explains that Ms. Grey has been moved the ICU along with the Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell. Dr. Grey exhales relieved; she wipes her eyes with the palm of her left hand. She nods gratefully as the thanks the doctor and shakes her hand. Then a doctor whispers something and walks out.

Dr. Grey sits back down at looks at me, tears glistening in her eyes. She quickly wipes them away and motions that we should go see them. I rise and follow her. No one says a word as we walk, nor do we look at each other. My thoughts are on the Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell, but I can only imagine what Dr. Grey's are on.

We find our way to the ICU, and we split ways. I find myself at Mister Zak's side before too long. His black hair and white star droop against his face so beautifully, and his off-center nose rests perfectly on his adorable face. My heart skips a couple beats just being near him. But then I remember who he is, and my heart settles. A relationship wouldn't work for a number of reasons, such as the fact that his family owns me and that they are Master's enemies. I have to remember these, or else my world will start caving in on me.

Though I do check on the other Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell frequently, my main concern in Mister Zak. He is the worst out of everyone, and the doctors are dedicating most of their time to him. Standing in the corner, I observe as the doctors and nurses tend to the Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell. It's fascinating to witness how a doctor will shout for X amount of X medicine over X amount of time, and the nurses jump on it as if each one is assigned a medication to fetch. If I were not a servant, I would definitely go into a medical career.

Most of the attention is on Mister Zak, but it doesn't look like it's doing much good.

"Doctor, his vitals are dropping," one nurse says. The doctor gives another command, and the team of nurses immediately begins working on it.

The monitor beeps with every action the doctor and nurses take. Nothing seems to be working, and the frustration is palpable. The doctor eventually throws his hands up. After a while and through the entire team's hard work, Mister Zak's vitals are soon stable. Out of the blue, a thought dawns on the doctor, and he turns to the closest nurse.

"Get Poison Control on the line." One of the nurses leaps for the phone and dials a number rapidly. She hands the phone to the doctor who then explains what Mister Zak's and the other's symptoms are. "What? . . . How is that possible? . . . How do we treat it best? . . . Okay, thank you." The doctor hangs up. "Good and bad news: it's arsenic poisoning."

A nurse asks the doctor which treatment option to use. He thinks it over for a moment and tells her to start sending absorbents into the Saturdays, especially into Mister Zak, STAT. Then he asks why Mister Zak isn't in Pediatric ICU, and a nurse tells him this hospital doesn't have a Pediatric ICU.

Frustrated, the doctor steps away for a breather. He checks on the other Saturdays. The nurses have medications running in all the Saturdays' IVs. The doctor says to keep everyone under observation; he then walks out to tend to other patients. One of those patients is Ms. Grey. He checks on her and says something to Dr. Grey, who is stroking her sister's hair. The doctor walks out of the room and continues his work. Dr. Grey and I continue to stay with those about whom we care for a while longer.

After a while of watching everyone's statuses, Dr. Grey decides that we should step out of the ICU and relax our minds a little. She suggests that we go get something to eat. I follow her out of the ICU, down to the cafeteria. She orders a salad and water, but I refuse any food. Master made it clear for the past six years that it is not my place to eat with my betters. Dr. Grey looks at me, sighs painfully, and says that I'm going to die if I do not eat. I try not to look at her.

After lunch, Dr. Grey and I head back up to the ICU; I get some water from the fountain up there. We spend the rest of the day with the ones for whom we care. That night, Dr. Grey and I sleep in the waiting room. She dozes off before I, but once I do fall asleep, I have a troubled sleep.

_The sunlight feels warm on my skin as I sit at the kitchen table. It's May, and school just let out for summer break yesterday. I can't wait to spend my summer with Lindsey and Daddy. It will be so much fun!_

_Daddy walks into the kitchen ever so silently and sits down in the chair next to me. He breathes deeply for a moment, leaving me to wonder what he's doing. He doesn't say a word for a long time; he just looks at me. This isn't like Daddy at all. I wonder what's going on. Daddy takes another deep breath, as if he's trying to figure out how to tell me something. Finally, he grabs both my hands._

"_Iris, I've been thinking, and- Iris, I know that you love life as just the two of us, but you're growing up now." Daddy pauses and looks over his shoulder like he's looking for something. "As you get older, you're going to need a mother figure." After looking over his shoulder once again, Daddy takes another deep breath. "I've met someone, we've been seeing each other for a while, about three years. We've decided that it's time you two meet." _

_He turns around in his chair, hanging his elbow off the back of the chair; he calls out to someone in the living room, saying he or she can come in. The person I cannot remember comes in. "Iris, this is _. _, this is my daughter, Iris." The person waves to me._

Just like yesterday, Dr. Grey wakes me up, but she looks at me with concern filling her eyes. I meet her eyes, and she asks me if I had another dream. I nod. Then she asks me if I dreamed of anyone. Again I nod; Dr. Grey asks me if I know about whom I dreamed. I tell her that I dreamed of my father, another person, and myself. When Dr. Grey asks me if I remember who the person was, I tell her no.

"Iris, I might know who the person is."

My eyes widen. "Qui? (Who?)" Dr. Grey leans in closer and whispers the name to me. I pull back after the two words. I take another look at Dr. Grey, my mind in total disbelief. "Comment? (How?)" I ask.

Suddenly, a nurse comes running out to Dr. Grey and stops in front of her. The nurse says that Ms. Grey has gone into cardiac arrest and may not wake up; Dr. Grey rushes to her sister's side and starts encouraging her to fight for her life. She takes her sister's hand and squeezes it and starts telling a story about a time when they were little. Dr. Grey describes a game they played with their brother and how their parents were so proud of Ms. Grey. After a few minutes, Dr. Grey takes a look at the monitors before continuing with her story. She keeps trying to convince her sister to wake up.

I look away for just a moment, but a large crash reverts my attention back to Dr. Grey and Ms. Grey. To my horror, nurses are surrounding Dr. Grey and helping her into a chair. A few nurses are asking if she's okay and trying to wake her up, but she's not responding. The nurses keep trying, and eventually Dr. Grey wakes up.

At first, she seems very confused about what just happened, so a nurse explains what just happened. Dr. Grey tries to piece together what just happened; seeing her sister in full-blown cardiac arrest shocks Dr. Grey and almost brings her to tears. She turns to nurse and asks for help getting back to the waiting room. One of the nurses makes sure Dr. Grey is okay and helps her back to the waiting room. The nurse then brings her a cup of water.

"She'll be okay, I promise." The nurse leaves after that.

Dr. Grey looks at me. "What if she's not okay? What if Abbey dies? What about our parents? Our brother's death about tore them up. What are they going to say? What are they going to think? Who knows what they'll do." Out of frustration, Dr. Grey runs her fingers through her bangs and framing strands, tears rolling down her face. Her pain is immense, as her eyes so clearly tell. Her family must be the most important part of her life; this event must be killing her.

About ten minutes later, the same nurse that led Dr. Grey to her seat comes back and says that Ms. Grey is back. Dr. Grey immediately stands and hurries to her sister's bed, where she stays for the remainder of the day. Meanwhile, I make my way to the Saturdays' and Mr. Blackwell's beds.

"Doctor," a nurse tending to Dr. Drew says, "her vitals are improving. The absorbents are working." The doctor gives a sigh of relief and tells the nurses to continue treatment. Then he continues making rounds to the other Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell. All the nurses say that the absorbents are working properly. The doctor nods and tells those nurses to continue treatment.

After hearing this news, I stop worrying so much about the others and focus most of my energy watching Mister Zak. I spend the rest of the day by his side, begging him to recover and help teach me to serve his family. I try to convince him that he is needed here, even into the late hours of the night. However, sleep soon calls my name, and just like any master, I obey its command.

For the first time since this whole ICU ordeal began, I wake before dawn on my own. The first thing I do is check on Mister Zak as he remains comatose in the most adorable way. Part of me yearns to bend down and kiss his forehead, but that is forbidden on all levels. In order to resist the temptation, I start walking out of the room; I look over my shoulder longingly as I leave. I barely step out of the room when things start to go wrong.

A nurse comes running out of the room Mister Zak is in. She finds the doctor and tells him something. "Doctor, we're losing the boy." Both rush into the bay and work frantically to save Mister Zak. "Doctor, he's crashing." A monitor beeps once before emitting a long beep.  
>"No pulse. Electrical activity. Let's shock him. 200 Jules."<br>"Charging. Ready."  
>"Everybody clear." Nothing happens. The team tries five more times, but to no avail. The monitor stops beeping all together and only shows straight lines. "Flatline," the doctor admits. All the nurses stop. "Time of death?"<br>"15:05" one of the nurses replies.  
>One of the nurses holds Mister Zak's hand before placing it beside him again. Then they cover up Mister Zak's body. Everybody steps away, and the same nurse who held Mister Zak's hand closes the door the the room. I look at the closed door and the sheet covering Mister Zak. My heart fills with regret for not kissing him.<p>

I make my way back to the waiting room, where Dr. Grey is waiting for me. I sit down by her feet and curl up into a ball position. I try not to show my hurt because it does not make sense for me to grieve a person set on killing my master. But my heart belongs to Mister Zak, and nothing will ever heal this pain.

* * *

><p>AB: Iris, please don't make me cry! (Wipes a tear from eyes then pulls self together.)<p>

Iris: Bon chapitre, AB. (Good chapter, AB.)

AB: Merci, Iris. (Thank you, Iris.) Anyways, Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings to everyone! I hope to have another chapter up later. Let me know what you all think of this chapter. We're almost halfway; I need to know if you want a sequel! Also, as I said before: Would you like to see anything in French in italics, no matter if it's spoken or thought, or would that be too confusing? Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but a lot does happen in my defense. Please forgive any mistakes; I'm in a huge rush. Don't forget to favorite, follow, review, or all three! Love you all!


	11. Chapter 11

AB: Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all had wonderful holidays, and I hope last chapter didn't get you down too much. I had a hard time writing the chapter, if it's any consolation. But I have good news! The story is not yet over, and you never know what may happen with the Saturdays. I just hope the Secret Scientists don't find out. (All the Secret Scientists, except Dr. Grey and the Saturdays, storm the room.)

Dr. Cheechoo: Too late, AB.

AB: For goodness's sake! Don't any of you have any respect for doors and people's privacy?!

Dr. Cheveyo: (Nods once to Dr. Cheechoo.) Yes, just not for you or your door. (Epsilon and Francis suddenly barge in.)

Epsilon: Take AB.

AB: I don't think so. (Starts backing out of secret door to room.) Disclaimer: _The Secret Saturdays_ belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network. Here's Chapter 11: Where's Zak?

* * *

><p><em>(3rd Person POV)<em>

_Rani Nagi presented her new husband with a gift the next morning. At first the Great Serpent was confused by the large stone with markings carved all in it, but Rani Nagi explained that the carvings told his story, should he ever be erased from history. However, Rani Nagi failed to mention that the stone was also a map to the tomb she had made for the Great Serpent. The Great Serpent, pleased with his wife's gift, gave her one too._

"_It'sss a flute, Beloved. It onccce belonged to the former queen, ssso I've been told." The Great Serpent handed the two-piped flute to his wife, who nodded while looking intently at it. Another plan was formulating in her mind as she fingered the open hole keys._

_Hours later, the Great Serpent sat upon his tall throne in thought. Rani Nagi slithered in and inquired what troubled him. The Great Serpent said that he wanted revenge on the gods for banishing him and the cryptids; he also said that he wanted revenge on Agrata for making him look like a fool. The Great Serpent's blood boiled inside of him. The rage was tremendous. Finally, the Great Serpent blew his top and said he hated humanity, for it was the root of all his problems. If humans had not needed gods and had not started dying in the first place, then he wouldn't be forced to rule the Underworld. The Great Serpent continued to vent and disclosed the incident just days earlier and how humanity's disdain for cryptids landed him in this situation._

"_Then declare war on them! You are the Great Serpent! You can do whatever pleases you!" Rani hissed at her husband. Then an idea struck her. She whispered it to her husband, who agreed instantly._

"_I will declare war on humanity, and the godsss too," the Great Serpent decided after thinking through his wife's suggestion. Thus, war was declared on all the world, and the Great Serpent led it. He forced cryptids to attack cities, villages, and kingdoms alike. No one was spared from this attack. Even the deads' spirits returned to attack the living. All the while, the Sumerian gods hid and planned a counterattack. But one goddess suggested negotiating with the Great Serpent first._

_The god who had visited the Great Serpent twice before suddenly appeared in Underworld, watching the chaos. The Great Serpent slithered by and hissed at the god. In response, the god stuck out his tongue before explaining his visit's purpose._

"_I know this is not you, Great Serpent Alborz, and you need to wake up to what has happened to you. Look outside and tell me if this war is what you wanted when you started your mission." The Great Serpent hissed and replied that it was his goal the entire time. The god continued for quite a while to reason with the Great Serpent, but all was in vain. Defeated, broken, and mourning the loss of his old friend, the god started to leave. "But just remember this, Great Serpent Alborz, the gods and I are serious, and we will do whatever it takes to save our people should you refuse to see the error in your ways." With those words, the god vanished from the Underworld._

* * *

><p>(Iris's POV)<p>

I feel ill at ease when I wake up the next morning. Something is tearing at my heart, but I cannot remember the cause for the life of me. Not that this is surprising; it is just how I handle certain situations. It hits me that instant, and it seems to be hitting Dr. Grey too. Mister Zak is dead, only he's not coming back this time, ever, no matter what happened under Master's watch in the past. I vow in my heart to avenge Mister Zak. I will avenge him if it's the last thing I do.

The doctor comes by for the first time this morning and says we can go tell Mister Zak our goodbyes; they've already moved him to the morgue. Dr. Grey asks how long they'll keep Mister Zak's body, and the doctor replies with no longer than 72 hours. Then the doctor walks us back to the morgue. It feels like an everlasting walk, partly because no one says a word or makes a sound. We finally get to the morgue, and the doctor leads us to the nurse there. He leaves, and the nurse walks us to the table Mister Zak's body is on. Dr. Grey draws back at the sight, but I can't get my eyes off him. He is so lovely, no matter the strength of death's grasp.

Dr. Grey asks if she is allowed to touch him, and the nurse says yes. Dr. Grey walks to the tableside and brushes her bangs from her eyes. "Darn it, Zak. You were such a fighter a month ago. Why'd you stop now?" Dr. Grey stops to breathe for a moment and wipes tears from her eyes. Then she ruffles Mister Zak's white star. "Zak, I'm so sorry. Just come back. Please." Knowing nothing will happen, Dr. Grey bends down and kisses Mister Zak on the forehead. "Goodbye, my godson, if I still deserve to call you that," she whispers as her voice breaks.

After Dr. Grey steps back, her arms wrapped around herself, I approach the table with Mister Zak on it. I look respectfully at him and wonder why his life had to end so soon when he had so much going for him. I wonder why I had not been the one to die since I have nothing to look forward to in life. My chest tightens, and a hard lump forms in my throat. I blink back the tears.

"Monsieur Zak, regardez- restez avec votre famille. Monsieur Zak? Monsieur Zak, vous restez avec votre famille. S'il vous plaît. (Mister Zak, look- stay with your family. Mister Zak? Mister Zak, you stay with your family. Please.)" My own voice cracks as the words leave my lips. A tear rolls from my left eye, down my face. _Pourquoi dois-je me soucie de Monsieur Zak? Sa famille a essayé de faire du mal Maître. Pour tout ce que je sais, Maître pourrait être mort à cause d'eux, et ici je suis le deuil de la perte de la plus dangereuse. (Why do I care about Mister Zak? His family tried to hurt Master. For all I know, Master could be dead because of them, and here I am mourning the loss of the most dangerous one.)_

I break my thoughts and try to back away from the table, but some kind of force keeps me at Mister Zak's side. Too tired to fight the force, I hold Mister Zak's hand for a moment. I close my eyes and imagine electricity shocking Mister Zak's heart; I feel the push, and nothing blocks it. I smile, but the joy is short-lived. My chest burns, and pressure is building behind my sternum. I feel lightheaded, and I am wobbling; Dr. Grey rushes over to me and catches me as I fall.

"Are you alright, Iris?" she asks. I nod, but my head is a lot worse. The nurse calls for help, and I somehow find myself in a chair with my head between my knees a few minutes later. The lightheaded feeling passes after a couple minutes, so I sit up. Dr. Grey looks at me in deep concern; I look down at my feet. Neither of us says anything for a long time.

"You're going to be okay, Iris. I promise that you'll be okay." I look up from my shoes at Dr. Grey. Brushing tears from my eyes, I shake my head. "Iris, I understand your pain, I really do. You lost your father, your master, and now a member of your new family to death. This is hard for you, but you have to understand that life moves on. Iris, I had to face this truth when my brother died the day before my college roommate died."

"Mais comment pouvez-vous être si sûr? La vie est- Attendez. Maître est mort? (But how can you be so sure? Life is- Wait. Master is dead?)" I hear and feel the dull cracking of my heart as it breaks once more. Dr. Grey nods solemnly. "Mais Maître était tout ce que j'avais. Munya est morte ainsi? (But Master was all I had. Is Munya dead as well?)" Dr. Grey looks me deeply in my eyes and says that she has no idea what happened to Munya.

Dr. Grey takes one last look at me and sighs. "I know you think of yourself as property, especially that of Argost's, but you're not. You are a living, breathing human. It's high time you relearned what you knew before you were taken at seven." All conversation stops there, and the two of us start walking back to the ICU.

Once we get there, the doctor tells us that the Saturdays, Mr. Blackwell, and Ms. Grey have all been moved into the regular hospital, but Ms. Grey is in a different part than the Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell. Dr. Grey walks me to the department where the Saturdays are before leaving to stay with her sister. I find myself at Dr. Drew's bedside, where I stay for rest of the day, only leaving to check on the others. I just pray that when she and the others wake up, they handle Mister Zak's death relatively well.

Sunlight on my eyes wakes me the next morning. I rub my eyes and look around; something is troubling me, but I do not know what. However a pain in the center of my chest quickly makes me forget about whatever is troubling me. The pain gives the sensation that something is trying to escape from my body. Hoping that the pain is only a temporary issue, I try my best to ignore it.

After checking on the Saturdays, I stop by Mr. Blackwell's room. My mind takes a minute to register what is in front of me: Mr. Blackwell's eyes are open; he is awake.

"Mini-maid, what happened to Mini-man?" For someone who has just awoken from a coma, Mr. Blackwell is extremely alert. He looks around the hospital room in total shock. "Are we in a hospital?" I nod. "Iris, what happened?" I shake my head. _C'est tellement frustrant! Je souhaite que je savais anglais et pouvais lui dire ce qui s'est passé! (This is so frustrating! I wish that I knew English and could tell him what happened!)_ I clench my jaw in hopes of stopping the frustrated tears before they come.

Mr. Blackwell does not say another word, nor do I speak to him. Instead, I stand quietly in the corner of the room, keeping my senses on high alert. Eventually, Mr. Blackwell falls asleep; after waiting a couple minutes, I leave the room and check on the other Saturdays. Mister Fiskerton, Mister Komodo, and Miss Zon are all awake now. Things seem to be looking up the Saturdays, even without Mister Zak. However, I cannot help but wonder what kind of hospital this is since it treats cryptids as well as humans.

Soon Mister Komodo and Miss Zon go to sleep, but Mister Fiskerton stays awake. His red eyes bore holes into my soul, or so it seems. I stare down at my feet, refusing to reveal reality to him.

"Where is Zak?" Mister Fiskerton asks, his voice filled with concern. Again, I clench my jaw to keep from answering. All I do is shake my head and hope Mister Fiskerton understands. Mister Fiskerton asks again where Mister Zak is, but all I can do is shake my head. I watch as Mister Fiskerton sighs and leans back against his bed. He folds his knees into his chest, wraps his arms around himself, and rests his head on his knee. My best guess is that he knows something happened to Mister Zak. But like all the others who have woken up, Mister Fiskerton soon goes to sleep and leaves me to watch over everyone.

After a long day of keeping an eye on the Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell, I check on Dr. Solomon and Dr. Drew. Neither of them is awake, much to my relief. Then I return to Dr. Drew's room and fall asleep in a chair.

I jolt awake as I gasp rapidly. I can feel my heart in my throat as it races. I don't know what happened to make me wake up in this state, but I know it had to be bad. Once I get my heart to slow down, I realize that the pain behind my sternum is very much present. Today, however, the pain is a lot worse than it has been the past couple days; it feels as if something is trying desperately to escape my body.

I look at Dr. Drew as she rests in her coma. Part of me hopes that she stays like this so that I do not have to tell her about Mister Zak and so I can find out for myself if Master is really dead, but part of me wants her to wake up so she can help her family now that Mister Zak is gone. Dr. Drew's chest rises and falls with each breath, and each breath gives hope that she will pull through. But Master taught Munya and me not to have hope unless he also had hope.

Watching Dr. Drew fight for her life and the feeling of hope it gives is too much. I burst into tears. _Je me déteste pour ce que je suis devenu. Mon esprit est tellement tordu et confus de mon temps avec Maître et le peu de temps que j'ai passé avec le Saturdays et M. Blackwell et les expériences que j'ai eues avec Dr Grey. Je ne sais plus ce qui est bon ou mauvais. Noir et blanc ne sont plus clair pour moi; zones grises apparaissent dans ma vie.(I hate myself for what I've become. My mind is so twisted and confused from my time with Master and the short time I've spent with the Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell and the experiences I've had with Dr. Grey. I no longer know what is right or wrong. Black and white are no longer clear to me; gray areas are appearing in my life.)_

Tears stream down my face as my thoughts calm down. But they do not stay calm for long; they start all over again. _Je ne sais plus qui je suis ou ce qu'il faut croire. Je me rends compte maintenant que la réalité n'est plus quelque chose que je peux faire confiance, et il fait des ravages. (I no longer know who I am or what to believe. I now realize that reality is no longer something I can trust, and it is taking its toll.)_ The sound of sheets rustling catches my attention, so I look up. Dr. Drew is moving slightly; she will wake up soon. I decide to remain in the room until she wakes up.

In actuality, several more hours pass before Dr. Drew shows any more signs of waking up. She tosses in the bed for a few minutes before settling down. After waiting another moment, I leave Dr. Drew's room and go check on Dr. Solomon.

Dr. Solomon is wide awake and sitting up in bed. He eyes me cautiously; there is no way he could show his distrust more obviously. I curtsy to show respect and hope he understands.

"Iris, how are the others?" Dr. Solomon asks.

"Ils sont bien. (They are well.)" Dr. Solomon seems pleased with my answer. I stay in his room until he drifts off to sleep. Then I return to Dr. Drew's room and watch as she awakens. The first words out of her mouth are asking about the others. I tell her exactly what I told Dr. Solomon. Dr. Drew nods and starts to fall asleep. I linger in the room until she has gone completely to sleep.

On my way out to the waiting room, my chest pains amplifies. I recognize that I am collapsing, but there is nothing I can do to stop it. The floor hurts, but not as much as the my chest as something tries to escape.

* * *

><p>Dr. Beeman: Mwahahaha! I have complete control over the story now! (Epsilon and Francis return, with a tied up AB.)<p>

Epsilon: What do you want us to do with AB?

AB: How about LET ME GO?!

Francis: Never.

AB: I am the author! I can do whatever I want to any of you if I wanted to!

Francis: Who cares?

AB: I care! First you all barge in on me and my chapter, then you capture me, next you try to overrun my chapter, and now you're disrespecting me!

Dr. Beeman: Would you just shut up?

AB: NO! This is my story! I have control over what happens! I-mmmm mmmm! (Epsilon gags AB.)

All the Secret Scientists, Epsilon, and Francis: Ahh. Some quiet at last.

AB: Mmmm mmm mmm mm mmmmmmmm! Mmmmmm mmmmmm mm mmm mmmm mm mmmm mm! (Don't let them get my outline! Please review if you want to save me!)


	12. Chapter 12

AB: (Notices the ropes are loose.) Mmm! M mmm mmmm mmmmmmm! (Yes! I can save myself!)

Dr. Bara: (Sarcastically) What was that, AB? I can't understand you with the gag on. Could you take it off? (Dr. Bara laughs.)

AB: (AB shoots Dr. Bara an evil glare. Dr. Bara turns his back to AB, so AB starts squirming around and manages to slip the ropes off; then AB unties the gag and stands up.) Your plan to take over my story has failed, Secret Scientists.

Dr. Pachacutec: You cannot beat us, especially not Arthur!

AB: Oh, really?

Professor Mizuki: Besides, Arthur already has your outline! Once he destroys that, you will have nothing left to write.

AB: That's not true. The outline helps, but I have new ideas too. (Turns to readers.) Disclaimer: _The Secret Saturdays_ belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network. While I go save my outline and take care of some Secret Scientists, here's Chapter 12: In the Tomb

* * *

><p><strong><em>(3rd Person POV)<em>**

_The Great Serpent's war still raged on, and it looked as if the Great Serpent would win. The gods feared what would happen if the Great Serpent won the war. They watched in terror as their people died at the hands of the Great Serpent's cryptids._

_"We have to do something," several gods said. Everyone agreed on that, but no one could agree on what should be done. Many gods were saying they should fight back._

_"Wait!" Nanshe, the goddess of prophecy, shouted at long last. "We will not cause the downfall of the Great Serpent Albroz. No, his destruction will come from one closest to him and through a gift."_

_"But how long, Nanshe?" Several of the gods demanded._

_"I do not know."_

_"Then you can go reason with him, Nanshe, and then you may tell us we will not bring his destruction!" After the other gods yelled at her, Nanshe left for the Underworld. _

_Nanshe appeared in the Underworld and found her way to the Great Serpent's throne room. She humbled herself before him and bowed to the ground before him. The Great Serpent bowed back to her._

_"Great Serpent Albroz, I apologize for the last encounter you had with one of us; it was by all means our fault." The Great Serpent nodded haughtily. Nanshe continued. "The other gods and I have reached a conclusion. We understand why you are doing this, for the humans no longer believe in us, but we need you to understand why we are trying to stop this war. Great Serpent Alborz, the other gods and I are making plans to surrender." Nanshe paused for a moment. "I will send my messenger Kash with the location." Nanshe turned to leave._

_"But, Nanssshe, I insssissst you ressst before returning," the Great Serpent offered politely. Nanshe accepted, and the two talked some more. _

_Suddenly, the Great Serpent motioned to someone with his claw, and a scaly arm grabbed Nanshe and held her tightly. "Do you really think I'm going to give up that easssily? You sssaid one of your own would die at my handsss, a prophecccy you have not yet ssshared, and you are right. Asss we ssspeak a Naga isss lurking near the dwelling of Ningirama and hisss wife, waiting for the perfect moment to ssstrike." Nanshe gasped in horror. "Take her away!" the Great Serpent shouted to Rani, who was holding Nanshe._

_"Great Serpent Alborz, this is not you! This is dark-"_

_"You are right, Nanssshe, I am not the Great Ssserpent Alborz any more. I AM KUR!"_

* * *

><p>(Iris's POV)<p>

The doctor and the translator walk out of the room. I sigh as I watch them go. The doctor said that the Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell's treatment was working, but the hospital wanted to keep them another day or two for observation; the doctor also said that because the Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell had not been discharged, the hospital would keep Mister Zak's body for a little longer. When he had finished saying that, I asked about Ms. Grey, which was when he discovered I speak French.

"Iris?" Dr. Drew asks weakly.

"Oui, Madame? (Yes, Ma'am?)"

"As-tu été ici tout les temps? En chacun de nos côtés? (Have you been here the entire time? By each of our sides?)" Dr. Drew asks; I nod. "Merci. Merci beaucoup. (Thank you. Thank you so much.)"

"Je vous en pris. (You are welcome.)" Our short conversation ends after that. Dr. Drew goes back to sleep while I stay awake. Just watching Dr. Drew sleep reminds me that I will eventually have to tell her about Mister Zak. But the thought of breaking the news to her shatters my heart. To distract myself, I leave the room and check on the others.

The others are awake, and they appear to be doing a lot better. I have no doubt that the doctor will discharge them in a matter of days. I just hope that they will already know about Mister Zak by then. I do not want to be the one to tell them the news; I love them too much.

Mister Fiskerton calls me into his room and sits up in his bed. He motions for me to come to the bedside; I walk over. Mister Fiskerton looks me over, and I can feel his eyes scanning me. I remain as still as a statue. Finally, Mister Fiskerton closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"You're Kur. I knew there was something to you the minute I laid eyes on you, and my Lemurian instincts say that you're Kur," Mister Fiskerton states clearly. I look at the floor, unsure of how to respond. "How did you become Kur? How did you get your powers? How long have you had them?" Mister Fiskerton fires multiple questions at me.

"Je suis Kur? (I am Kur?)" I ask. Then I realize I do not know who Kur is."Qui est Kur? (Who is Kur?)"

"Judging by the cadence of your voice, you were asking who Kur is. Kur was an ancient cryptid with power over other cryptids. But Kur was evil." I stifle a gasp.

"Et, je suis Kur? (And, I am Kur?)" I ask uncertainly.

"Zak was once Kur, before Argost stole his powers. Then Argost died." I bite my lip so hard it bleeds. My blood has a metallic taste.

"Maître est mort, (Master is dead,)" I declare. It feels good on my lips to say it, but my heart starts racing from fear. _Non. Maître. Est. Mort. Maître est mort. (No. Master. Is. Dead. Master is dead.)_ I repeat the phrase over and over in my mind; my heart still races from the fear of what will happen now that I've betrayed Master, but my mind feels freer than it's ever been in years. "Maître est mort. (Master is dead.)"

"I don't understand you, Iris. I'm sorry, but I don't speak French," Mister Fiskerton explains. It feels weird for someone else to be taking the blame for something and apologizing to me. _Est-ce la façon dont les gens interagissent avec sans l'autre? (Is this how free people interact with each other?)_

Thoughts like these occupy my mind for the rest of the day. They refuse to leave me that night, so I force myself to sleep to make them shut up.

_A slight cool breeze rustles through the tall trees. The air is humid; the breeze feels nice on the skin of everyone. The moon brightens up the entire jungle, making the journey much easier for the entire party._

_A short, scrawny teenage girl stumbles as she trips over multiple roots. No one stops to help her, and she falls behind. At one point a branch smacks her in the face, causing her to fall backwards. Her nose is gushing blood; she is covered in dirt and mud._

_For a moment, the girl is too shocked to notice the rest of her group leaving her. She cannot take her bicolored eyes off the large stone ruins. They remind her of something. Then she remembers what the ruins remind her of: an arena._

_Eventually, one of the group members realizes the girl is not behind him. He alerts the other members of the group before running back to find her. It takes a while, but he finds her staring intently at the ruins. He growls at her and tells her to come along. She stands up, brushes herself off and wipes some of the blood off her face. Then she hurries to catch up with the group._

_The group member and the girl soon rejoin the rest of the group. They are standing at the entrance to the ruins. The girl looks at her group and asks why they are at the ruins; one of the adults leading the group says that the girl will see in a few moments. Then the group makes its way into the ruins, and they go deep underground._

_Once the group makes it to an ornate doorway, everyone turns to the girl. The girl asks what they need done, and she does it. Then she pokes her head into the next room and motions to the others that it is safe. The entire group enters the room. They continue like this until they get to a room with only one door and a box-like structure in the center. Another member of the group walks up to the box and opens the lid. Then he motions to a different group member to bring his load over; the load is the body of a person. The member lays the body in the box, which the girl recognizes is a coffin, and steps back. The group member who opened the coffin motions for the girl to come over. The girl walks over carefully and looks at the person. The entire groups encourages her and reminds her of her job, of her power. The girl sighs. She knows what she has to do. The girl too climbs in the coffin and grabs the body's hand._

I jolt awake and take several calming breaths. I have no idea what I just dreamed, but I do not want to find out. It was freaky as heck, and understanding it will only make freakier and scarier. I am starting to wonder what effect serving Master for six years, being Dr. Beeman's captive, and this whole ordeal are having on me. _Si cela continue, je vais casser dans la folie permanente. Mais quand? (If this continues, I am going to snap into permanent insanity. But when?)_

"Yo, Mini-maid, could you come here?" Mr. Blackwell calls. I hurry to his room and stand next to the door. "Mini-maid, I promise I'll find a better nickname for you, you know, once this is all over." I nod, but remain silent. No one says a word for a while.

"Iris, I know something happened to Zak. I also know that you're not telling us what happened. Now, I get the whole language issue, but you need to tell us." I bite my lip, accidentally removing the scab from yesterday in the process. _Dois-je leur dire? Si je ne le fais pas, ils découvriront bientôt et en colère contre moi. D'autre part, en leur disant maintenant serait les écraser. (Should I tell them? If I do not, they will find out soon and get mad at me. On the other hand, telling them now would crush them.)_

"Je ne peux pas. Je suis désolée. (I cannot. I am sorry.)" My voice cracks a little as I say those two simple sentences.

I go back to the waiting room and sit for a while. All of my thoughts start fighting for a place in my head, confusing me. It feels like there are two of me, and I do not know whom to believe.

"_Tu devrais leur avez dit. Une servante n'est pas censé garder les secrets de ses parieurs se ils le demandent. Tu sais comment cela fonctionne. (You should have told them. A servant is not supposed to keep secrets from her betters if they ask. You know how this works.)"_

"_Non, tu as fait la bonne chose. Ne leur disant pas est la meilleure façon de gérer la situation jusqu'à ce que tu peux comprendre quelque chose. Ne t'en fais pas. (No, you did the right thing. Not telling them is the best way to handle the situation until you can figure something out. Do not worry about it.)"_ The mental fight continues for a long time, and it drives me crazy. I just want it to stop.

Sooner or later, I wander back into Dr. Drew's room. She is asleep, so I check on all the others. Most of them are awake but are oblivious to the world. I make my way back to Dr. Drew's room. By this point she is awake and trying to sit up in bed. She sees me, calls me over, and asks if I can help her get adjusted. I help situate her comfortably before moving to stand by the foot of the bed.

"Iris, j'ai pensé beaucoup, puisque c'est tout ce que je peux faire maintenant, et j'ai réalisé quelque chose. Quand l'avocat, M. Scheef, lire la volonté de ton père, il a dit que nous avons eu la garde de toi. Cela fait de toi, dans un sens, notre fille. (Iris, I've been thinking a lot, since that's all I can do right now, and I realized something. When the lawyer, Mr. Scheef, read your father's will, he said that we got custody of you. That makes you, in a sense, our daughter.)"

"Votre fille? (Your daughter?)"

"Oui. (Yes.)"

"Mais, que dois-je me adresser à vous que? (But, what should I address you as?)"

"Quoi que tu rend plus confortable. Mais il suffit de savoir qu'il pourrait changer plus tu restes avec nous. (Whatever makes you most comfortable. But just know that it may change the longer you stay with us.)"

"Thank you, Madame. ( . . . Ma'am.)" The English phrase rolls off my lips like a forgotten language has returned. I smile.

"Iris! Tu as parlé anglais! (Iris! You spoke English!)" Dr. Drew's entire face lights up. "Qui toi a appris la phrase? (Who taught you the phrase?)"

"Dr Grey, Madame. (Dr. Grey, Ma'am.)" I pause; Dr. Drew nods. "Aussi, Dr Grey vous a acheté tous une trêve de deux mois. (Also, Dr. Grey bought you all a two month truce.)"

"Entre nous et Dr Beeman? (Between us and Dr. Beeman?)"

"Oui. (Yes.)"

Dr. Drew leans back in her bed and sighs. "Thank you, Miranda," she mutters. Then Dr. Drew closes her eyes as she thinks. I sit down in one of the chairs and relax. It has been a long day for everyone, and some rest will do everybody good.

_A slight cool breeze rustles through the tall trees. The air is humid; the breeze feels nice on the skin of everyone. The moon brightens up the entire jungle, making the journey much easier for the entire party._

_A short, scrawny teenage girl stumbles as she trips over multiple roots. No one stops to help her, and she falls behind. At one point a branch smacks her in the face, causing her to fall backwards. Her nose is gushing blood; she is covered in dirt and mud._

_For a moment, the girl is too shocked to notice the rest of her group leaving her. She cannot take her bicolored eyes off the large stone ruins. They remind her of something. Then she remembers what the ruins remind her of: an arena._

_Eventually, one of the group members realizes the girl is not behind him. He alerts the other members of the group before running back to find her. It takes a while, but he finds her staring intently at the ruins. He growls at her and tells her to come along. She stands up, brushes herself off and wipes some of the blood off her face. Then she hurries to catch up with the group._

_The group member and the girl soon rejoin the rest of the group. They are standing at the entrance to the ruins. The girl looks at her group and asks why they are at the ruins; one of the adults leading the group says that the girl will see in a few moments. Then the group makes its way into the ruins, and they go deep underground._

_Once the group makes it to an ornate doorway, everyone turns to the girl. The girl asks what they need done, and she does it. Then she pokes her head into the next room and motions to the others that it is safe. The entire group enters the room. They continue like this until they get to a room with only one door and a box-like structure in the center. Another member of the group walks up to the box and opens the lid. Then he motions to a different group member to bring his load over; the load is the body of a person. The member lays the body in the box, which the girl recognizes is a coffin, and steps back. The group member who opened the coffin motions for the girl to come over. The girl walks over carefully and looks at the person. The entire groups encourages her and reminds her of her job, of her power. The girl sighs. She knows what she has to do. The girl too climbs in the coffin and grabs the body's hand._

_The lid is placed back on top of the coffin as the girl mumbles a prayer, then an ancient spell, and then a final prayer. Nothing happens, and the girl is starting to get scared. She takes a few deep breaths and tries again. Again nothing happens. There is total silence as the tears start slipping down the girl's face. She begs and pleads to be let out, saying that it is not working, but no one lets her out. The girl tries one last time, fear for her life in each word, and this time something happens. _

_The girl experiences a sharp pain throughout her whole body, particularly in her chest. She gasps, but she does not scream. Then there is peace; her breathing slows little by little, until she takes very few breaths. The body next to her has new life now, but every life has a cost._

My eyes flutter open as I come to my senses. Something about that dream is bothering me, but I do not know what. Dreams do not normally return, so this is strange and frightening. But what scares me most is that the dream returned with a new part to it.

Dr. Drew is wide awake and sitting up in bed. She says that the doctor just left; she tells me that the doctor told her what was wrong with them and thanked me. I shook my head and explained that Dr. Grey is the one to thank. Then I took an extremely deep breath and exhaled slowly. _S'il vous plaît, comprendre. S'il vous plaît ne vous fâchez pas. (Please understand. Please do not get angry.)_

"Dr Saturday, votre fils est mort. Je suis vraiment désolée. (Dr. Saturday, your son is dead. I am truly sorry.)"

"Pardon? Mon fils est mort? (Pardon? My son is dead?)" Dr. Drew blinks several times, as if she is holding back tears. She bites on the corner of her bottom lip. The subtle shaking begins just before the doctor comes back. Dr. Drew pulls herself together once she sees the doctor coming.

"Well, Dr. Saturday, it appears you and your family are ready to be discharged. Just sign these papers, and here are your discharge instructions." The doctor hands Dr. Drew a clipboard, and she signs it before handing it back the the doctor. "I'll be just a moment while I give these to your husband and brother." Then he leaves the room, leaving me and Dr. Drew alone.

"Pourquoi tu me as pas dit plus tôt? (Why didn't you tell me earlier?)"

I stare down at my feet, ashamed of myself. "Je ne sais pas. Je ne sais pas. (I do not know. I do not know.)" Now my voice is breaking left and right as I fight the tears. Dr. Drew does not say another word, nor do I. We just sit in total silence.

The doctor eventually comes back, and after around ten minutes of instructions, the Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell are officially discharged. When Dr. Drew asks about Mister Zak, the doctor sighs and says that he is the morgue. Dr. Drew asks if they can take Mister Zak back to their home city, explaining they have place on their "plane" to keep him. The doctor agrees, and more arrangements are made and more paperwork is filled out.

After a long while, everything is finalized, and we all board the airship, thanks to Dr. Solomon's remote control glove that brought it to us. Once we are all on, Mister Fiskerton goes back to airship's medical bay, where Mister Zak is being kept cold. Soon all the Saturdays and Mr. Blackwell are in there. Guilt ridden, I too enter the medical bay. I am only in there a few minutes before Mister Fiskerton pulls me aside.

"You will bring Kur's return. I know it."

My dream from the past two nights pops into my head. I tilt my head towards Mister Zak. "Il doit être mis au tombeau de Kur. (He needs to be laid in the tomb of Kur.)"

* * *

><p>Fiskerton: (Crying.) That was a horrible chapter! You killed Zak! How could you?!<p>

AB: Well, he actually died a couple chapters back.

Fisk: Not helping.

Drew: (Sobbing.) My poor Zak! Why, AB, why? I know he annoyed in the first few chapters, but was it worth killing him?

AB: Please calm down. The story is not over! Things can still happen! Iris was onto something!

Iris: J'étais? (I was?)

AB: Yes. Now if you all will excuse me, I have no ideas left, as you could probably tell with how awful the chapter was, and need to take a couple weeks off to replenish my mind. Thank you all for sticking with my story so far, and sorry if the changes in Iris's mindset were too abrupt. Next chapter is the halfway point, so get excited. Don't forget to follow, favorite, or review; ask me or the characters any questions you may have and feel free to leave suggestions! Love you all, and I will see you when my mind is refreshed. (AB walks out of the room.)

Invisible and Inaudible Ghost Zak: So am I coming back or not?


End file.
